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A  SKETCH 


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Manner  of  carrying  Tobacco  to  market  fifty  years  ago. 


NOETH     CaEOLINA. 


BY  J.  D.  CAMERON, 


PRICE 


50  CENTS. 


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OXFORD,  N.  C: 
W.  A.  DAVIS  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS. 


STEPHEN  Bo  WEEKS 

CUSS  0F1886;PRD.  THE  JOHNS  HOPKINS  UNIVERSITY 


OF  THE 


THE  WEEKS  OTJJECTTON 

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FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


THIS  TITLE  HAS  BEEN  MICROFILMED 


A  SKETCH 


—OF  THE— 


TOBACCO  INTERESTS 


—IN- 


NORTH  CAROLINA. 


BEING  AN  ACCOUNT  OF   THE  CULTURE,   HANDLING  AND   MANUFAC- 
TURE OF   THE    STAPLE;  TOGETHER  WITH  SOME  INFORMATION 
RESPECTING  THE  PRINCIPAL  FARMERS,  MANUFACTURING 
ESTABLISHMENTS  AND  WAREHOUSES;  WITH  STATIS- 
TICS EXHIBITING  THE  GROWTH  OF  TOBACCO  IN 
THE  WESTERN  COUNTIES,  AND  ALSO  IN  THE 
OTHER  TOBACCO  PRODUCING  REGIONS 
OF  THE  STATE,  AS  SHOWN  BY  COM- 
PARISON OF  THE  CROP  OF  1880 
WITH  THOSE  OF  PRECED- 
ING YEARS. 


By  J.   D.   CAMERON, 

Editor  of  the  Durham,  N.  C,  Recorder. 


OXFORD,  N.  C, 

W.  A.  DAVIS  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 

l88l. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1881,  by  W.  A.  Davis  &  Co.,  in  the 
office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


BALTIMORE: 

Press  of  Isaac  Friedenwald, 

103  W.  Fayette  Street. 


INTRODUCTION 


The  caprices  of  human  taste  and  appetite  present  most  interesting  sub- 
jects for  consideration,  for  those  caprices  are  connected  most  intimately 
with  human  progress ;  with  the  spread  of  civilization,  by  the  influence 
they  exert  upon  the  intercourse  of  nations ;  and  they  define  most  dis- 
tinctly the  dividing  line  between  the  creature  of  intellect  and  the  creature  of 
instinct;  the  one,  in  the  gratification  of  appetite,  or  the  satisfaction  of 
cravings,  plunging  boldly  into  the  mysteries  of  nature,  and  snatching  new 
pleasures  almost  from  the  very  jaws  of  death  ;  coming  out  triumphant  with 
new  treasures,  and  adding  to  the  resources  of  human  enjoyment,  stores  of 
solace  or  of  excitement,  drawn  from  those  things  that  pure  animal  instinct 
rejects  as  noxious  or  hurtful.  On  the  other  hand,  the  habits  and  the  tastes 
of  the  brute  creation  remain  unchanged  throughout  all  time.  The  same 
food  and  the  same  drink  that  satisfied  their  original  progenitors,  suffice  for 
the  wants  of  their  descendants,  with  the  exception  of  certain  limited 
modifications,  enforced  by  soil,  climate  or  locality. 

Man  is  called  to  account,  by  the  philosopher  of  his  own  race,  for  the 
presentation  of  such  contrast,  and  condemned  for  his  departure  from  the 
simple  rule  of  nature.  But  what  we  are  pleased  to  call  the  simplicity  of 
nature,  in  our  commendation  of  the  superior  wisdom  of  the  brute,  is,  in 
reality,  the  approval  of  a  blind,  inflexible  law,  imposed  and  enforced  by 
Creative  Wisdom  upon  creatures  without  wisdom,  beyond  the  limit  of  the 
narrow  but  safe  law  of  instinct.  For  mere  physical  perfection,  the  provision 
for  the  brute  may  be  the  happier. 

The  liberty  of  man  is  unlimited.  Set  as  lord  and  master  over  terrestrial 
creation,  his  reason  is  his  guide  or  his  prompter  to  good  and  to  evil.  To 
evil  most  largely ;  for  as  the  animal  part  of  his  nature  predominates,  so 
does  it  impel  him  to  gratify  animal  appetites,  and  search  out  new  secrets  of 
animal  enjoyment.  Investigating,  exploring,  subjugating  in  the  domain  of 
appetite,  he  is  no  less  inquisitive  and  tyrannical  than  he  has  been  in  his 
other  conquests.  If  it  is  a  tribute  to  his  intellectual  power  that  his  acqui- 
sitions have  been  so  large  and  so  curious,  it  is  somewhat  of  a  rebuke  to  his 
moral  weakness  that  he  becomes  so  often  the  victim  of  his  own  achievements. 

It  is  very  remarkable,  in  the  notice  of  human  habits,  to  find  of  how 
recent  origin  or  application  is  much  of  what  is  now  inseparably  associated 
with  the  comfort  and  even  the  necessities  of  social  existence.  Almost  all 
the  appliances  of  domestic  luxury  and  of  artificial  stimulants  are  of  modern 


discovery,  extraction  or  application.  The  ancients  were,  in  their  way,  as 
self-indulgent  as  the  moderns,  far  more  extravagant  in  their  devotion  to 
appetite.  They  ate  of  the  most  costly  viands,  and  they  drank  beverages 
that  might  turn  their  feasts  into  riots.  But  in  the  preparation  of  the  first 
they  knew  nothing  of  the  spices  and  condiments  which  give  the  zest  to  the 
modern  table,  and  the  latter  they  received  almost  ready-made  from  the 
hand  of  nature.  The  ready  grape  was  prompt  to  convert  its  abundant 
juices  into  the  generous  wine,  potent  to  cheer  or  to  inebriate.  But  the 
more  fiery  beverages,  owing  their  power  to  the  artificial  creation  of  alcohol, 
waited  for  modern  chemical  skill  to  call  them  into  existence.  The  milder 
stimulus  of  tea  and  coffee  was  unknown  to  the  luxury  of  the  Roman  and 
the  Greek ;  nor  was  their  food  made  grateful  to  the  palate  by  the  use  of 
the  sugar  so  indispensable  to  the  modern  cuisine.  But  in  nothing  was 
their  ignorance  so  profound  and  so  pitiable  as  in  their  want  of  knowledge 
of  Tobacco,  the  discovery  of  which  marks  a  boundary  between  the  past 
and  the  present  of  human  habit,  as  sharp  as  might  be  presented  by  a  con- 
trast of  the  naked  Pict  and  his  modern  successor,  the  enlightened  and 
luxurious  Briton.  In  the  universality  of  its  present  use  it  is  difficult  to 
conceive  of  a  time  when  it  was  not,  as  now,  the  common  refuge  and 
solace  for  all  mankind,  from  the  philosopher  to  the  clown,  from  the  refined 
Caucasian  to  the  dusky  savage,  all  greeting  with  avidity  this  new  gift  of 
heaven,  and  accepting  with  joy  this  new  boon  of  geographical  researches. 

Perhaps  nothing  has  proved  so  great  a  stimulus  to  the  greed  of  conquest, 
the  expansion  of  empire,  the  grasp  of  colonization,  the  spread  of  civilization 
and  the  activity  of  commerce,  as  the  spur  of  appetite  awaked  by  the 
knowledge  of  these  newly  found  modern  luxuries.  The  remotest  regions 
of  the  earth  were  penetrated  to  procure  them ;  the  most  active  traffic  was 
begotten  to  exchange  for  them,  or  the  most  determined  wars  were  origin- 
ated to  secure  them.  And  now,  since  regular  channels  have  been  provided 
for  their  procurement,  or  systematic  cultivation  adopted  to  supply  them, 
they  have  become  the  great  mainsprings  of  modern  commercial  enterprise 
and  the  great  mainstays  of  modern  manufacturing  energies. 

Giving  to  each  one  of  the  luxuries  referred  to  its  due  share  of  con- 
sequence, and  all  its  peculiar  honors,  there  is  no  one  of  them  which  exacts 
so  universal  a  tribute  from  the  whole  human  race  as 

TOBACCO, 

which  throws  its  spell  of  enchantment  over  all  mankind,  and  compels  sub- 
mission from  all  alike — from  the  peasant  and  the  peer,  from  the  millionaire 
and  the  mendicant ;  which  elevates  the  philosopher,  inspires  the  poet, 
animates  the  man  of  business,  and  cheers  the  slaves  of  toil ;  the  chosen 
companion  of  the  cheerful  and  the  comforter  of  the  sorrowful ;  alike  sought 
after  by  all  men,  in  all  conditions  and  circumstances  of  life ;   a  friend  so 


general  and  so  genial  as  to  justify  the  poetic  yet  philosophical  Bulwer  in 
saying  that,  "  He  who  doth  not  smoke,  hath  either  known  no  great  grief, 
or  refuseth  himself  the  softest  consolation  next  to  that  which  cometh  from 
heaven." 

Occupying  so  important  a  relation  to  the  mental  comfort  of  mankind,  it 
is  not  surprising  that  it  has  stimulated  industry  and  skill  to  minister  to 
the  universal  demand  upon  its  capabilities  ;  that  it  has  awakened  the  energies 
of  agriculture,  fanned  the  wings  of  commerce,  and  given  birth  to  active 
manufacturing  enterprise ;  that  it  has  subdued  the  wilderness  in  its  search 
for  new  fields  of  culture,  created  populations  where  silence  had  been  wont 
to  hold  dominion,  and  called  flourishing  towns  and  cities  into  existence  to 
demonstrate  the  power  of  an  inanimate  agency.} 

It  is  not  proposed  in  these  introductory  pages  to  go  into  a  minute  history 
of  tobacco.  If  that  is  done,  it  will  be  in  connection  with  the  consideration 
of  its  varieties,  its  culture  and  its  uses.  A  brief  reference  to  its  origin  must 
here  suffice.  Nothing  is  more  conclusive  of  its  modern  discovery  and  its 
American  origin  than  the  utter  silence  of  all  writers  in  regard  to  its  ex- 
istence previous  to  the  discovery  of  America.  Its  almost  instant  adoption 
by  the  whole  human  race  as  soon  as  its  virtues  were  made  known,  proves 
that  the  use  of  tobacco  would  not  have  been  foregone  had  it  been  within 
reach.  It  was  first  heard  of  through  the  followers  of  Columbus,  who 
noticed  that  the  natives  puffed  smoke  through  their  mouths  and  nostrils ; 
and  that  they  used  a  dried  leaf  which  they  placed  in  small  clay  pipes  in 
which  was  inserted  a  hollow  reed.  The  leaf  was  tobacco,  and  the  pipe 
was  the  predecessor  of  the  costly  meerschaum.  Not  only  was  the  use  of 
the  weed  observed  on  the  islands,  but  subsequently  it  was  found  in  universal 
habit  on  both  the  northern  and  southern  continents  of  America.  To  this 
day  it  may  be  found  growing  wild  in  the  Western  and  Southern  States  of 
the  American  Union ;  and  very  recently  a  new  and  distinct  variety  has 
been  discovered  in  Southern  California  among  the  ruins  of  the  towns  and 
habitations  of  a  people  long  extinct,  perpetuating  itself  from  year  to  year 
by  seeds  dropped  from  each  annual  crop,  and  showing  the  uses  to  which 
it  was  once  applied  by  being  found  in  close  proximity  to  large  quantities  of 
antiquated  pipes,  which  could  have  had  no  other  application.  This  is  an- 
other proof  of  its  American  origin. 

Sir  Francis  Drake,  perhaps  in  his  voyage  of  1573,  brought  samples  of 
tobacco  into  England.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  had  much  to  do  with  making 
it  fashionable,  and  smoking  became  sufficiently  popular  and  sufficiently 
general  to  draw  forth  that  fierce  counterblast  of  King  James,  who  was  as 
impotent  in  his  royal  wrath  to  drive  back  the  tide  of  the  new  and  seductive 
habit  as  his  predecessor,  Canute,  had  been  to  control  by  royal  mandate  the 
onward  progress  of  the  waves  of  the  sea.  This  novel  tide  was  to  sub- 
merge not  only  England,  but  all  the  parts  of  the  earth. 

It  has  often  been  observed  how  many  of  human  plans  lead  to  results 


widely  different  and  far  remote  from  what  was  originally  designed.  Almost 
the  sole  incentive  to  the  colonization  of  the  new  American  shores  was  the 
discovery  of  gold,  believed  to  exist  in  fabulous  quantity  in  some  as  yet 
undiscovered  part  of  the  continent.  When  the  sanguine  colonists  of  James- 
town heard  the  result  of  their  first  shipment  of  the  golden  sands  of  James 
river,  and  learned  that  it  was  nothing  more  than  worthless  mica  spangles, 
they  may  have  consoled  themselves  under  their  bitter  chagrin  in  the 
oblivious  cloud  of  smoke  from  the  soothing  pipe,  and  learned  at  length 
that  in  the  tobacco  fields  they  had  really,  if  unwittingly,  found  a  true 
El  Dorado.  For,  despairing  of  the  discovery  of  the  metallic  gold,  they 
sought  it  in  the  culture  and  sale  of  the  weed  which  a  new  habit  had  made 
indispensable  to  human  luxury  or  comfort,  and  which  made  returns  that 
filled  the  coffers  of  the  planters  as  effectively  and  substantially  as  the 
metallic  representative.  Gold  was  found  above  the  soil,  not  under  it ;  and 
henceforward  the  southern  colonies  went  on  to  grow  and  to  prosper,  to 
become  populous,  wealthy  and  refined,  and  to  reach  that  social  and  political 
height  which  gave  them  preeminent  influence  with  the  other  colonies,  and 
which  has  never  been  lost  through  the  lapse  of  time,  the  shocks  of  war  or 
the  reverses  of  fortune.     And  this  is  all  directly  traceable  to  tobacco. 

Tobacco  was  soon  made  to  perform  also  the  functions  of  gold  in  another 
form.  Its  culture  once  firmly  established,  and  markets  opened  for  its 
disposal,  it  became  the  common  medium  of  exchange,  the  standard  of 
value,  and  almost  the  sole  currency  of  Virginia  at  least.  It  paid  the  taxes 
of  the  farmer,  it  liquidated  his  debts  to  the  merchant,  it  satisfied  the  parson 
for  his  ministrations,  and  it  measured  the  dowry  of  the  bride.  It  was 
made  in  its  earliest  colonial  days,  as  it  has  been  made  to  do  in  the  maturity 
of  modern  commonwealths,  to  bear  a  most  important  relation  to  the  subject 
of  revenue.  King  James,  and  his  successor,  King  Charles,  both  strove  to 
obtain  a  monopoly  of  the  sale  of  tobacco  raised  in  Virginia,  which  the 
Governor  and  Council  compromised,  by  agreeing  to  contract  with  their 
sovereign  for  at  least  500,000  pounds,  at  3s.  and  6d.  per  pound,  to  be 
inspected  and  guaranteed  to  be  of  uniform  good  quality,  which  is  the  origin 
of  the  present  system  of  inspection.  But  this  contract  carried  with  it 
another  burden  opposed  to  the  liberties  of  agriculture.  That  the  sovereign 
might  be  freed  from  competition,  and  obtain  full  prices  for  the  amount  of 
tobacco  delivered  to  him,  the  planter  was  required  to  gather  only  twelve 
leaves  from  each  plant.  In  its  early  history,  as  in  its  modern  experience, 
tobacco  has  been  the  sport  of  legislation,  the  subject  of  vexatious  laws  and 
tyrannical  exactions,  as  if  law-makers  had  conspired  to  punish  mankind  for 
the  facility  with  which  they  had  yielded  to  its  seductive  dominion. 

North  Carolina  lagged  many  years  behind  Virginia  in  the  extent  of  the 
culture  of  tobacco ;  for  whereas  all  the  tide-water  region  of  the  latter  State 
became  almost  exclusively  devoted  to  this  staple,  long  before  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  but  comparatively  a  small  portion  of  the  former  was  given  up 


to  it.  The  counties  of  Warren  and  Granville,  and  the  counties  along  Dan, 
with  portions  of  Orange  and  Chatham,  under  their  former  limits,  were 
probably  the  only  counties  in  which  tobacco  was  extensively  cultivated  for 
market. 

With  the  progress  of  settlement  and  with  the  acquisition  of  the  terri- 
tories beyond  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Mississippi,  lands  and  climate  were 
both  found  by  the  Virginia  and  the  North  Carolina  emigrant  to  induce  ex- 
perimental trials  in  those  regions.  How  successfully,  the  vast  production 
of  Kentucky  and  Missouri  has  long  furnished  satisfactory  proof.  The 
other  new  western  States  and  Territories,  as  they  came  into  being,  made 
the  same  ventures.  The  colder  northern  and  northwestern  States  made 
the  trial,  and  they  too  succeeded.  The  result  is  that  there  is  scarcely  a 
State  in  the  Union  which  is  not  tobacco-growing  to  some  extent. 

In  such  wide  diversity  of  soil  and  climate  there  must  of  necessity  have 
been  developed  many  varieties  of  quality  ;  and  as  a  consequence  we  find 
the  seed-leaf  of  Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut  with  a  fragrance  almost 
equal  to  the  famous  product  of  Cuba ;  the  rich  and  fragrant  leaf  of  Virginia 
and  North  Carolina,  unapproachable  anywhere  in  the  world  as  a  chewing 
tobacco,  and  the  foundation  of  those  brands  of  smoking  tobacco  which 
find  consumers  everywhere  in  the  reach  of  commerce.  The  heavier  and 
darker  qualities  of  Kentucky  and  Missouri  have  their  peculiar  excellencies 
and  always  find  ready  markets.     The  same  may  be  said  of  Tennessee. 

It  is  undeniable  that  North  Carolina  is  the  producer  of  tobacco  unequalled 
even  in  Virginia ;  and  yet  owing  to  the  course  trade  has  almost  always 
taken,  she  is  deprived  of  her  due  credit  both  for  quantity  and  quality. 
Until  within  a  few  years,  when  she  has  built  up  some  interior  markets, 
Virginia  has  absorbed  her  fame  as  well  as  her  products.  The  statistical 
tables  of  1875  put  North  Carolina  as  the  fourth  State  in  extent  of  crop,  yet 
foreign  commercial  tables  take  no  note  of  this,  and  the  forty  or  more 
millions  of  leaf  tobacco  that  go  out  of  North  Carolina,  go  upon  the  world 
as  Virginia  tobacco.  It  is  no  reproach  to  Virginia  that  this  is  so.  She  has 
systematized  her  business  by  the  experience  of  two  centuries,  and  ship- 
ments from  Richmond  and  Petersburg  had  a  guarantee  for  their  excellence 
in  the  fidelity,  knowledge  and  skill  of  those  who  controlled  the  market. 
And  Virginia  had  given  North  Carolina  the  only  market  within  reach  of 
her  producing  regions  until  that  change  in  the  system  of  sales,  established 
since  the  war,  has  given  her  markets  of  her  own.  It  is  now  her  duty  to 
show  to  the  world  what  she  does,  and  vindicate  her  fame  and  the  magnitude 
of  her  resources. 

How  can  she  part  with  her  property  in  the  fame  of  her  "  bright  yellow 
tobacco,"  a  fame  based  upon  its  North  Carolina  origin  and  broadened  by 
its  almost  exclusive  North  Carolina  production  ?  The  name  of  Marshall, 
who  opened  up  the  golden  treasure  of  California,  and  gave  birth,  as  it 
were,  to  the  Empire  State  of  the  Pacific,  ought  not  to  be  held  in  higher 


10 

/ 

honor  than  that  of  Capt.  Abishai  Slade,  of  Caswell  county,  who,  in  1856, 
made  that  discovery  by  which  the  dark  brown  leaf  of  tobacco  was  turned 
by  magic  touch  into  a  foliage 

Shining  as  patines  of  bright  gold," 

a  color  marvellous  to  the  uninitiated ;  a  color  that  inspires  the  seller  to  hold 
on  to  his  wares  with  a  kind  of  covetous  greed ;  a  color  that  fascinates  and 
excites  the  buyer  as  if  he  could  not  pay  too  much  for  this  beautiful  sem-s 
blance  of  the  product  of  the  mine. 

Now  all  this  treasure  is  almost  exclusively  in  possession  of  our  State. 
Until  recently  it  was  confined  to  the  narrow  belt  running  from  southeast  to 
northwest — embracing  portions  of  the  counties  of  Warren,  Granville,  Orange, 
Person,  Caswell,  Alamance  and  Rockingham,  and  reaching  a  little  way 
over  into  Virginia.  Now  that  area  has  been  extended  by  the  addition  of 
the  extreme  eastern  counties  of  Wayne  and  Lenoir,  of  the  middle  counties 
of  Stokes  and  Forsythe,  of  the  western  counties  of  Catawba,  Iredell  and 
McDowell,  and  the  trans-montane  counties  of  Buncombe,  Madison,  Hay- 
wood, Henderson,  Yancey  and  Transylvania. 

It  is  a  monopoly  of  the  most  magnificent  kind  ;  a  monopoly  of  a  produc- 
tion without  a  rival  and  of  a  market  without  a  competitor ;  yet  it  goes 
abroad  in  its  crude  form  as  Virginia  tobacco,  and  the  world  hears  nothing 
of  North  Carolina  in  connection  with  it. 

Without  doing  injustice  to  our  sister  State,  or  prejudicing  her  just  claims 
to  priority  in  so  much  that  concerns  tobacco  in  all  its  relations  to  agricul- 
ture, to  commerce,  to  manufacture  and  to  legislation,  the  just  claims  of 
North  Carolina  will  be  presented  in  these  pages,  with  the  hope  that  a 
State  pride,  defective  in  so  much  else,  may  be  aroused  to  vindicate  her 
reputation  in  this,  one  of  her  most  important  interests. 


A.    SKETCH 


OF 


w 


OBACCO  INTERESTS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


CHAPTER    I. 

GEOLOGICAL  FEATURES— THE  WINSTON  SECTION. 

WHILE  tobacco,  as  a  native  plant  of  America,  will  readily  grow  in 
almost  all  parts  of  North  Carolina,  it  has  long  been  well  known  that 
the  finer  qualities  are  restricted  to  certain  limits  defined  by  characteristic 
geological  peculiarity.  And  it  is  curious  to  notice  that  this  limit  is  fixed 
by  one  geological  formation ;  and  that  in  all  parts  of  that  system  the  results 
prove  to  be  the  same.  For  years  after  the  discovery  of  the  mode  of  curing 
the  "bright  yellow  tobacco,"  custom,  and  at  length  steady  belief,  had 
restricted  those  limits  within  the  narrow  bounds  of  a  few  favored  counties  ; 
and  the  favorable  results  of  experiments  made  beyond  that  zone  were 
ascribed  rather  to  accident  than  to  similarity  in  the  elements  of  soil  essential 
to  the  perfect  development  of  such  product ;  or  such  product  was  dispar- 
aged as  wanting  in  all,  if  possessing  some,  of  the  merits  of  the  fruits  of 
the  favored  region.  One  of  the  beneficent  results  of  the  State  Geological 
Survey,  a  work  yet  incomplete,  derided,  opposed  and  threatened  with 
summary  suppression,  was  to  demonstrate  the  wide  extent  of  the  Lau- 
rentian  System.  Practical  experience  had  proved  the  special  adaptation 
of  certain  soils  to  the  production  of  the  finer  kinds  of  tobacco.  Science 
stepped  in  to  confirm  the  judgment  of  experience,  and  to  give  confidence  to 
the  bold  adventurer  who  might  dare  to  step  beyond  prescribed  limitations. 

The  characteristics  of  this  system,  one  of  the  oldest  of  the  series  of  stratified 
rocks,  are,  that  they  contain  most  of  the  metamorphic  rocks  of  North  Caro- 
lina, "  consisting  of  granite,  syenite  and  other  horn-blendic  rocks,  dionite 
and  crystalline  limestone  ;  and  these  contain  much  magnetic  and  specular 
iron  ore,  frequently  in  many  large  beds ;  and  beds  of  graphite  are  also 
common."  * 

The  map  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  North  Carolina  shows  the  extent, 

*  Kerr's  Geology  of  North  Carolina,  p.  113. 


12 

and  also  the  wide  separation  of  this  system  by  the  interposition  of  other 
formations.  It  makes  its  appearance  about  the  centre  of  the  State, 
embracing  a  portion  of  the  counties  of  Wake,  Granville,  Orange,  Alamance, 
Caswell,  Person,  and  Rockingham,  and  extending  some  distance  over  into 
Virginia  into  the  counties  of  Halifax  and  Pittsylvania.  This  has  been  pre- 
eminently the  treasure-house  of  the  bright  yellow  tobacco.  But  again,  it 
makes  its  appearance,  after  a  separation  by  broad  belts  of  miocene  and 
taconic  formation,  at  a  point  beginning  near  Wentworth,  in  Rockingham 
County,  and  extending  in  a  southwestern  course  nearly  to  the  South  Caro- 
lina line,  and  reaching  nearly  to  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Ridge ;  and  here  again 
is  found  another  field  for  the  production  of  "bright  yellow  "  tobacco.  Again 
it  reappears  beyond  the  Blue  Ridge,  occupying  most  of  the  mountain 
plateau  between  that  range  and  the  Smoky  Mountains ;  and  in  the  counties 
of  Buncombe,  Madison,  Yancey,  Haywood,  and  others  adjacent,  is  found  a 
new  field  for  this  valuable  production. 

It  is  thus  evident  that  a  special  subject  of  industry  must  expand  far 
beyond  the  limits  to  which  it  was  believed  to  be  rigidly  restricted  ;  with  this 
difference,  that  while  that  portion  of  the  geologic  system  beyond  the  Blue 
Ridge  is  adapted  apparently  only  to  light  and  highly  colored  tobaccos,  those 
portions  to  the  east  of  it  have  a  wider  latitude  of  variety,  and  produce  with 
equal  excellence  the  dark  and  heavy  grades  in  demand  for  the  worker  of 
plug  stock,  and  the  bright  and  highly  priced  finer  qualities  in  request  for 
smokers  and  wrappers. 

In  this  treatise  it  is  proposed  to  consider  these  sections  in  the  order  in 
which  they  present  themselves,  beginning  at  the  eastern  limit  of  the  western 
section,  and  giving  information  in  detail  so  far  as  obtained. 

The  Winston  Section. 

This  properly  embraces  the  counties  of  Stokes  and  Forsythe,  of  Davie 
and  Davidson,  and  involves  to  large  extent  those  of  Guilford  and  Rocking- 
ham. The  surface  is  undulating,  sometimes  boldly  so  ;  again  stretching 
out  in  broad,  comparatively  level  areas.  The  native  growth  includes  many 
varieties  of  oak,  hickory,  chestnut,  walnut,  dogwood  and  chinquepin  ;  the 
woods  in  parts  being  quite  open,  in  others  filled  with  dense  undergrowth. 
The  soil  varies  more  in  color  than  in  chemical  structure.  In  portions  of 
Forsythe,  for  instance,  it  is  gray,  light  and  friable  ;  while  in  another  it  is 
dark  or  reddish,  and  heavier  and  more  compact ;  but  all  exhibiting  the 
same  results,  analyses  probably  showing  large  percentages  of  potash  or  of 
alkali  and  alkaline  earth,  the  darker  portions  tinged  with  the  oxides  of 
iron,  but  all  proving  their  adaptability  to  the  production  of  tobacco  in  its 
most  perfect  form. 

The  cultivation  of  tobacco  in  this  section  is  no  new  thing.  For  many 
years  it  had  been  pursued  on  the  richer  and  heavier  lands,  with  the  only 
aim  of  application  to  the  coarse  grades  of  plug  tobacco,  much  of  which 


13 

was  manufactured  at  home  by  the  farmer  in  a  very  primitive  method,  the 
presses  being  in  the  open  air,  worked  by  a  screw  operated  by  the  long 
wing-levers  xmce  familiar  to  the  eye  in  the  cotton  regions.  The  curing  was 
in  the  same  primitive  style,  air  or  sun  curing  being  universal.  It  may  be 
a  question  if  the  lover  of  good  chewing  tobacco  has  not  lost  by  the  modern 
processes,  which  sacrifice  flavor  to  color,  and  which  give  to  the  eye  that 
which  they  deny  to  the  palate. 

But  in  this  section  there  was  no  expansion  in  cultivation,  because  the 
production  being  die  fruits  of  a  rich,  rank  soil,  could  not  come  in  com- 
petition with  those  of  a  soil  yet  richer  and  ranker  and  more  extended  in 
area,  such  as  is  abundantly  found  in  Virginia  and  Maryland,  in  Kentucky 
and  Missouri.  It  was  after  the  discovery  of  the  process  of  curing  tobacco 
to  a  bright  yellow  was  introduced,  that  experiment  proved  these  lands  as 
well  suited  to  the  production  of  that  as  well  as  to  a  high  grade  of  dark 
tobacco  suitable  to  dark  wrappers  and  fillers  as  any  other  in  the  State  ;  and 
with  the  facility  of  markets  built  up  in  the  centre  of  the  producing  region, 
and  manufactories  springing  into  existence  to  keep  alive  a  permanent 
demand,  the  industry  now  engages  the  interest  of  many  counties  until 
lately  wholly  ignorant  of  the  culture  or  even  of  the  various  qualities  of 
tobacco. 

Winston. 

Forsythe  County,  cut  off  from  the  county  of  Stokes,  was  formed  in 
1848,  and  Winston,  immediately  contiguous  to  the  somewhat  venerable 
town  of  Salem,  was  made  county-seat.  For  more  than  twenty  years  after 
its  designation  as  the  county  capital,  it  had  no  other  importance.  Salem 
overshadowed  it  by  its  older  population,  its  large  mercantile  transactions 
and  its  educational  reputation.  Winston  lived  in  humble  obscurity  as  a 
courthouse  village,  until  suddenly  the  spring  was  touched  which  gave  her 
life  and  energy,  and  made  her  a  name  more  widely  and  interestedly  known 
than  that  of  her  venerable  sister.  She  has  now  a  population  of  little  less 
than  four  thousand,  a  town  handsomely  and  substantially  built,  and  a  busi- 
ness, based  upon  the  sales  and  manufacture  of  tobacco,  which  makes  it  one 
of  the  most  important  centres  of  that  stupendous  interest. 

In  the  town  of  Winston  there  are  three  sales  warehouses,  fourteen  plug 
factories,  one  smoking  factory,  not  at  present  in  operation,  and  one  plug 
factory,  so  immediately  in  the  vicinity  as  properly  may  be  included  in  the 
interests  of  the  town.  A  brief  sketch  of  each  will  be  given  in  detail, 
together  with  information,  as  far  as  could  be  obtained,  of  such  points  and 
establishments  as  are  practically  tributary  to  the  business  of  Winston. 
And  first  of  the  warehouses, 

Brown's  Warehouse. 

In  1872,  Mr.  T.  J.  Brown  was  encouraged  by  the  increasing  cultivation 
of  tobacco  in  this  section,  to  venture  upon  the  enterprise  of  opening  a, 


14 

warehouse  in  Winston,  which  he  did  in  an  old  barn  of  small  size,  30x40  feet. 
The  sales  were  advertised  to  take  place  daily,  but  supplies  were  irregular 
and  small,  and  sale  days  were  few  and  far  between.  There  was  then  only 
one  plug  factory  in  the  place,  whose  yearly  output  was  not  more  than 
twenty  thousand  pounds.  The  culture  in  the  surrounding  country  was 
small,  conducted  in  primitive  methods,  without  the  use  of  artificial  fer- 
tilizers, and  curing  was  effected  by  the  air  or  the  sun  or  by  wood  fires.  The 
introduction  of  coal  curing,  and  more  recently  of  flues,  has  completely 
revolutionized  the  whole  system,  the  result  of  which  is  the  abundant  pro- 
duction of  fine  yellow  tobacco,  as  well  as  a  very  superior  article  of  dark 
grades.  The  increase  of  production  compelled  an  increase  of  accommo- 
dations, and  Brown's  warehouse  is  now  a  building  70x200,  with  full  skylight 
and  abundant  conveniences  within  and  without.  The  sales  take  place  daily 
during  the  season.  The  house  is  known  under  the  name  of  T.  J.  Brown 
&  Co.,  and  is  formed  by  Messrs.  T.  J.  Brown,  W.  B.  Carter  and  J.  R. 
Pearce.  Mr.  R.  D.  Moseley  is  auctioneer  and  Mr.  P.  A.  Wilson  book- 
keeper. 

Mr.  Brown  reports  that  the  condition  of  the  growing  crop  is  very  superior, 
and  greatly  increased  in  quantity.  Many  new  men  have  gone  into  the 
business  this  year,  and  older  planters  have  enlarged  their  operations.  In 
characterizing  peculiarities,  he  describes  the  tobacco  of  Stokes  County  as 
remarkably  rich  and  waxy.  He  estimates  the  sales  of  Winston  for  the 
current  year  at  seven  millions  of  pounds,  of  which  home  manufacturers  take 
about  one-half;  the  remainder  is  bought  on  orders  for  Canada,  the  Western 
cities,  Baltimore,  etc.,  some  large  houses  in  the  latter  city,  such  as  Gail  & 
Ax,  obtaining  a  large  proportion  of  their  stock  hefe. 

Mr.  Brown  adds  that  when  he  embarked  in  business  in  1872  there  were 
ho  banks  in  Winston,  and  no  facilities  whatever  to  aid  a  struggling  enter- 
prise. All  this  is  now  changed,  there  being  ample  bank  accommodations, 
and  also  the  convenient  addition  of  a  revenue  office.  The  growth  of  the 
town  in  size  and  in  business  is  more  marked  within  the  past  five  years  than 
at  any  previous  period. 

The  next  warehouse  in  date  of  erection  is  that  of 

Phol  &  Stockton. 

The  house,  built  in  1874  by  W.  A.  Lash,  was  known  as  "  Lash's  Ware- 
house." It  was  subsequently  occupied  by  Norwood  &  Pearce,  who  were 
succeeded  by  Haines  &  Brown,  then  by  Cabell  &  Hairston,  then  by  Shep- 
pard  &  Wiles;  and  about  July  1st  of  the  present  year  (1880)  it  passed  into 
the  possession  of  the  present  proprietors,  Phol  &  Stockton.  The  building 
is  of  wood,  70x200,  well  lighted,  and  with  ample  accommodations  ;  those  for 
wagons  and  horses  being  now  largely  increased.  Mr.  John  Sheppard,  for- 
merly of  Richmond,  afterwards  of  Danville,  is  general  business  manager. 
He  has  been  a  warehouseman  since  1865,  and  inherits  a  family  instinct 
which  has  given  to  Richmond  so  many  men  distinguished  in  tobacco  life. 


15 

Mr.  Sheppard  reports  the  estimated  annual  sales  at  this  warehouse  at 
two  million  of  pounds.  The  bulk  of  receipts  are  fine  wrappers,  both  bright 
and  mahogany,  and  fillers.  The  counties  in  North  Carolina  tributary  to 
Winston  are  Forsythe,  Stokes,  Surry,  Yadkin,  Rowan,  Davie,  Davidson, 
Iredell,  Wilkes,  Guilford,  and  Rockingham ;  and  Virginia  is  largely  repre- 
sented by  Patrick  Henry  and  Grayson  counties.  Stokes  and  Davie  stand 
at  the  head  of  the  market  for  superiority  in  all  grades ;  the  fine  tobaccos  of 
these  counties,  and  of  Guilford,  compare  favorably  with  the  best  made  in 
Granville.  Mr.  Sheppard  thinks  the  tobacco  of  this  section  better  suited  to 
all  general  purposes  than  any  other  part  of  the  country  ;  and  there  is  eager 
and  steady  demand  from  the  North,  the  West,  and  from  Canada,  which  has 
the  effect  of  maintaining  always  a  firm  market. 

The  soil  of  the  lower  or  southern  part  of  Forsythe  is  light  sandy  loam  ; 
the  upper  part  and  that  of  Stokes,  red  and  heavier ;  the  growth  oak,  hickory, 
chestnut,  etc.,  with  undergrowth  of  chinquepin ;  in  some  parts  the  woods 
open  and  covered  with  grass.  The  lands  in  Davie  and  Davidson  are 
chocolate-colored  loam,  and  almost  entirely  free  from  rock. 

The  firm  of  Phol  &  Stockton  is  composed  of  T.  A.  Wiles,  floor  manager ; 
N.  T.  Stockton,  bookkeeper ;  E.  Phol,  financial  agent,  and  James  Stockton, 
general  supervisor. 

The  Piedmont  Warehouse 

was  established  by  Hobson  &  Scales  as  the  Planter's  Warehouse.  Mr. 
M.  W.  Norfleet  took  charge  of  the  house  in  1876,  and  gave  it  its  present 
title,  and  increased  its  capacity  to  14,200  square  feet,  with  ample  accommo- 
dations ;  wagons  unload  inside  of  the  building,  and  there  is  a  wagon-shed 
190x20.  The  sales  are  held  daily.  The  first  year's  sales  did  not  exceed 
half  a  million  pounds.  They  are  now  more  than  four  times  as  great,  and 
the  increase  this  year  is  from  50  to  75  per  cent,  over  that  of  the  last. 

Large  orders  are  made  to  this  house  from  distant  points — from  Detroit, 
from  Louisville,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis,  Baltimore,  and  from  Canada.  The 
large  house  of  Gail  &  Ax,  Baltimore,  has  been  purchasing  here  for  the  past 
five  years. 

Fillers  as  fine  as  any  made  in  the  United  States  can  be  abundantly  had 
here ;  the  best  from  Stokes,  which,  in  addition  to  some  peculiar  virtue  of 
soil,  has  had  the  benefit  of  the  longest  experience.  Mahogany  wrappers  of 
superior  excellence,  and  lugs  and  smokers  of  remarkable  sweetness  and 
flavor,  fill  the  market ;  and  there  is  a  fair  proportion  of  bright  wrappers 
and  smokers. 

Mr.  M.  W.  Norfleet  is  the  head  of  this  house  and  general  supervisor,  Mr. 
W.  A.  S.  Pearce  is  bookkeeper,  Mr.  James  S.  Scales  floor  manager,  and 
Mr.  J.  Q.  A.  Barham  auctioneer. 


16 

Factories. 

Culture  and  manufactures  react  the  one  upon  the  other.  The  first,  finding 
a  ready  demand  for  its  product,  is  stimulated  to  increased  industry  and 
encouraged  to  the  application  of  higher  skill.  The  other,  obtaining  its 
supplies  with  certainty  and  convenience,  ventures  to  enlarge  its  operations, 
and  becomes  ambitious  to  expand  its  profits  and  its  reputation.  Such  has 
been  emphatically  the  case  in  Winston,  where  supply  and  demand  have 
gone  hand  in  hand ;  where  the  producer  found  a  market  when  his  products 
were  ready  for  it,  and  where  the  consumer  obtained  his  supplies  without 
going  far  beyond  his  own  doors  to  seek  them.  And  that  these  supplies 
have  been  of  superior  excellence  is  proven  by  the  fact  that  the  fabrics  of 
the  Winston  factories  have  so  impressed  their  good  qualities  upon  pur- 
chasers that  the  factories  there  have  been  spared  during  this  year  the  mor- 
tification of  suspended  operations  or  short  time,  such  as  rival  towns  have 
been  forced  to  submit  to.  On  the  contrary,  the  Winston  factories  have 
been  worked  to  their  utmost  capacity  to  meet  a  constantly  increasing 
demand.  This  is  the  testimony  of  the  whole  of  them,  as  will  be  seen  in  the 
notice  given  of  each  one,  and  is  the  result  of  skill  in  manufacture,  and  of 
the  perfect  adaptation  of  the  raw  material  used  to  the  end  sought  to  be 
attained. 

One  of  the  most  extensive  factories  is  that  of 

Brown  &  Brother, 
who  worked  under  the  same  firm  name  in  Mocksville,  N.  C,  as  far  back  as 
1858,  but  who  subsequently  removed  to  Winston.  They  occupy  a  brick 
building,  four  stories  high,  exclusive  of  a  commodious  attic,  50x200  feet. 
It  is  perfectly  arranged  for  the  business,  with  every  possible  appliance  for 
convenience  and  for  safety  ;  the  large  "dry  rooms"  being  separated  from 
the  other  part  of  the  working  space  by  fire-proof  partitions.  Hydraulic 
power  in  connection  with  steam  is  used  for  the  press  work.  Two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  hands  are  employed,  during  eight  months  of  the  year,  in 
making  all  styles  and  grades  of  plug  and  twist ;  the  latter  being  a  specialty 
for  the  Southern  and  Western  trade. 

The  production  for  the  current  year  will  reach  five  hundred  thousand 
pounds,  and,  with  continued  proportionate  increase  of  business,  is  expected 
to  reach  one  million  pounds  next  year. 

The  prominent  brands  of  this  factory  are  "  Honest  7,"  "  Cottage  Home," 
"  Waverly,"  "  Ruby,"  "  Little  Joker,"  "  Archer,"  "  Brick  Factory,"  "  Golden 
Link,"  "  Gold  Dust,"  "  Oliver  Twist,"  "  H  W's."  "  Slap  Jack,"  "  Dexter," 
"  Brown's  Mule,"  etc.     "  Oliver  Twist"  is  a  popular  brand  of  twist. 

The  Messrs.  Brown  report  that  Winston  is  not  so  good  a  market  in 
which  to  obtain  brights  as  fillers ;  in  which  last  there  has  been  in  recent  years 
marked  improvement,  and  they  are  little,  if  at  all,  inferior  to  the  noted 
Henry  (Va.)  County  fillers.  For  fine  wrappers,  Davie,  Davidson,  and  Rock- 
ingham counties  are  most  approved. 


17 

P.  H.  Haines  &  Co. 

began  work  in  1874.  They  occupy  a  brick  building  118x55,  with  an  exten- 
sion wing  105  feet  long,  the  main  building  being  four  stories  high.  Hydraulic 
power,  applied  by  steam,  is  used.  One  hundred  and  seventy-five  hands, 
including  forty-five  rollers,  are  employed,  who  will  turn  out  half  a  million  of 
pounds  this  season,  with  a  constantly  increasing  demand ;  and  there  is  an 
expectation  of  a  much  larger  production  next  year.  The  usual  sizes  of 
plug  and  twist  are  made  for  a  large  trade  extending  from  Baltimore  to 
Texas,  including  all  the  intermediate  States  South  and  West.  Last  year 
a  considerable  quantity  of  the  manufacture  of  this  house  was  sent  to  Kansas, 
and  it  gains  favor  wherever  used. 

This  house  is  composed  of  energetic  and  sagacious  young  men,  intelli- 
gent and  sagacious  in  their  business,  and  shrewd  and  enterprising  to  adopt 
every  possible  improvement,  thus  maintaining  and  advancing  a  reputation 
gained  by  attentive  skill  —  keeping  abreast  with  all  rivalry,  resulting  in 
operations  the  extent  of  which  is  not  surpassed  by  any  similar  establishment 
in  North  Carolina. 

Byrum,  Cotton  &  Jones 

opened  in  1879,  the  firm  being  composed  of  Taylor  Byrum,  Robert 
Cotton  and  E.  D.  Jones.  They  occupy  a  brick  building  three  and  half 
stories  high,  and  40x100,  and  use  hydraulic  power  in  pressing.  They 
employ  about  sixty  hands,  including  fifteen  rollers,  and  make  plug  and 
twist ;  of  the  former,  from  6x3  to  1 2x3 ;  and  of  the  latter,  six  and  twelve 
inch.  Among  their  prominent  brands  are  Wachowa,  Silver  Wave,  Smart 
Aleck,  Mamie  Lee,  Shoe  Heel,  and  Oneida.  The  amount  annually  made 
is  about  one  hundred  and  twenty- five  thousand  pounds,  with  a  steadily 
progressive  increase.  The  trade  of  this  house  is  now  spread  over  ten. 
States  :  Ohio,  Maryland,  Virginia,  the  two  Carolinas,  Georgia,  Alabama, 
Mississippi  and  Florida.      All  stock  for  this  factory  is   obtained  on   the  ( 

Winston  market. 

C.  Hamlin  &  Co., 

successors  to  C.  Hamlin,  began  business  in  1872.  Their  building  is 
brick,  two  and  a  half  stories,  and  is  40x100.  They  employ  about  sixty 
hands,  including  twelve  rollers,  using  improved  machinery,  and  turn  out 
annually  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  pounds  of  the  usual 
sizes  and  grades  of  plug  and  twist.  Their  trade  is  principally  with  Balti- 
more and  the  South.  Like  all  the  other  houses  in  Winston,  this  one  shows 
a  constantly  increasing  business. 

T.  L.  Vaughan  &  Co. 
1 

Mr.   T.   L. ,  Vaughan,   though   not  the  first  manufacturer   in  Winston, 

erected  its  first  tobacco  factory.     The  present  firm  was  organized  in  1878. 

It  occupies  a  brick  building  118x53,  with  an  "  L"  of  58  feet  long,  also  of 

brick,  the  whole  two  and  a  half  stories  high,  and  is  practically  three  stories 


18 

high.  One  hundred  and  twenty-five  hands  are  employed,  including 
twenty-eight  rollers,  who  produce  annually  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
pounds  of  the  usual  sizes  and  grades  of  plug  and  twist.  The  trade  is 
principally  with  the  South,  though  large  shipments  are  made  to  Cincinnati 
and  Memphis.  The  business  of  this  firm  is  also  increasing,  and  the  pro- 
duct next  year  is  expected  to  exceed  largely  that  of  the  present  one. 

BlTLING  &  WHITAKER, 

in  the  extent  of  their  operations,  and  in  the  repute  of  their  product,  are 
second  to  no  house  in  Winston.  They  began  work  in  that  town  in  1876, 
and  occupy  a  building  of  wood,  four  stories  high  and  40x116.  The  annual 
capacity  of  the  house  is  five  hundred  thousand  pounds,  which  will  probably 
be  exceeded  this  year,  and  certainly  so  the  next.  It  employs  about  two 
hundred  and  twenty- five  hands,  who  turn  out  all  grades  of  plug  and  twist, 
for  which  an  active  demand  is  found,  principally  in  the  South  and  South- 
west, and  also  in  Baltimore  and  Cincinnati.  This  firm  are  the  manufac- 
turers of  the  brands  celebrated  as  "  Lucille,"  "  Empress,"  and  "  Sprig  of 
Acacia." 

W.  W.  Wood 

built  his  factory  in  1877,  and  began  work  in  1878.  His  building  is  of 
brick,  four  stories  high,  and  is  40x140.  He  employs  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  hands,  who  this  year  will  produce  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  pounds  nett  tobacco'.  The  first  year  his  products  were  sixty-five 
thousand  pounds,  the  second  year  two  hundred  thousand,  and  the  current 
year  as  above  stated.  But  Mr.  Wood,  by  a  happy  invention,  will  hereafter 
largely  surpass,  in  all  probability,  any  result  he  has  as  yet  attained.  With  high 
inventive  genius,  he  has  patented  a  mill  which  is  designed  to  pack  tobacco 
in  new  and  very  attractive  forms,  the  mill  pressing  into  the  "  shapes  "  the 
Jumps,  which  form  a  central  decagon,  from  which  extend  the  corresponding 
radical  pieces,  the  diameter  over  all  being  about  twelve  inches,  and  the 
whole  neatly  packed  in  an  oaken  bucket  containing  forty-five  pounds,  and 
appropriately  branded  "  The  Old  Oaken  Bucket."  The  style  is  so  novel 
and  beautiful  that  the  eyes  of  the  trade  have  been  strongly  drawn  toward 
it ;  and  the  demand  for  the  new  style  is  already  so  great  that  Mr.  Wood 
will  probably  abandon  altogether  the  hardly  less "  celebrated  brands  of 
"  Mark  Twain  "  and  "  Maud  Muller,"  and  devote  his  efforts  exclusively  to 
"  The  Old  Oaken  Bucket."  Mr.  Wood  has  been  engaged  in  the  tobacco 
business  in  many  of  its  various  branches  throughout  his  business  life. 

Hamilton  Scales, 

better  known  as  Ham.  Scales,  began  the  manufacture  of  tobacco  in  Winston 
in  1S70,  and  was  the  pioneer  of  the  business.  There  being  no  sales 
warehouse  in  the  place  at  that  time,  his  supplies  were  obtained  by  direct 
transactions  with  the  planters  on  their  farms.     He  erected  his  present  factory 


19 

of  wood  in  1S75.  It  is  22  stories  high,  60x34,  with  a  cooling  room  34x18, 
and  dry-house  16x16.  He  works  on  an  average  fifty  hands,  producing 
annually  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  pounds  of  plug  altogether, 
the  most  prominent  brands  of  which  are  "  Aleck  Stephens,"  "  No.  1,"  in  30 
pound  packages,  "  Bob  Toombs  "  and  "  Piedmont."  His  trade  is  principally 
with  the  South,  with  uniform  steady  increase. 

Bailey  Brothers, 

consisting  of  W.  D.  Bailey  and  P.  N.  Bailey,  removed  from  Statesville, 
where  they  had  worked  as  manufacturers  since  1874,  to  Winston  during 
the  year  1880.  They  occupy  a  building  of  wood,  three  stories  high,  35x70, 
and  employ  fifty  hands,  turning  out  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  plug 
and  twist.  Their  trade,  constantly  increasing,  is  mostly  with  the  Southern 
States. 

P.  W.  Dalton  &  Co., 

the  firm  being  composed  of  P.  W.  Dalton,  W.  J.  Cooper  and  Lee  Hen- 
dricks. They  began  work  during  the  current  year,  1880,  in  a  building  of 
wood,  two  and  one-half  stories  high,  and  40x50,  with  a  dry-house  20  feet  in 
length.  They  employ  on  an  average  through  the  working  season  fifty 
hands,  who  will  make  this  year  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds  of 
nett  tobacco  of  all  the  styles  and  grades  of  plug  and  twist.  Owing  to  the 
steady  increase  of  demand,  this  house  expects  next  year  to  increase  its  pro- 
duction to  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds.  Its  trade  is  mostly 
with  South  Carolina,  Georgia  and  Alabama,  with  scattering  transactions 
with  all  the  territory  from  Virginia  to  Texas.  The  most  prominent  brands 
are  "  P.  W.  Dalton,"  "  Little  Harry,"  "  Little  Grade,"  "  Little  Nina,"  "  Old 
Virginia,"  "  Orange  Leaf,"  "  Rose  Bud,"  "  Yellow  Jessamine,"  "Geranium," 
and  "  P.  W.  Dalton's  A.  A.  A.  A." 

R.  J.  Reynolds 

began  business  at  his  present  location  in  1874,  gradually  enlarging  his 
building  as  his  business  increased,  until  he  now  occupies  a  brick  building, 
38x128,  three  stories  high,  and  employing  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
hands,  with  a  nett  result  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  pounds 
fcr  the  current  working  year.  The  steady  increase  of  business  will  compel 
additions  to  the  buildings  next  year.  The  trade  is  partly  with  the  South, 
but  more  extensive  with  the  North  and  West,  exacting  a  great  variety  of 
styles  and  grades  for  so  many  different  markets.  The  prominent  brands 
are  "  Strawberry,"  twist ;  "  Oronoko,"  pounds  ;  "  World's  Choice,"  pounds  ; 
and  Reynolds'  "  Bright  7  ounce  twist." 

H.  H.  Reynolds 
began  business   this   year,  1880,  in  a  building  partly  brick,  partly  wood, 
38x110,  and  two  and  one-half  stories  high.     He  employs  between  sixty-five 


20 

and  seventy  hands,  making  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  nett  tobacco,, 
exclusively  twist.  The  trade  is  with  both  North  and  South  and  is  exclu- 
sively wholesale,  and  the  attention  of  this  house  is  largely  given  to  working 
up  jobbers'  brands. 

Mr.  Reynolds  reports  as  a  general  feature  of  the  business  in  Winston, 
that  the  "  Little  Oronoko "  is  mostly  used  for  fillers,  and  the  "  Broad 
Oronoko  "  and  "  Silky  Pryor  "  for  wrappers.  A  new  and  apparently  acci- 
dental variety  locally  known  as  "  Sea  "  is  coming  into  use  in  the  counties- 
along  the  Virginia  border.     It  prizes  a  dark  rich  color. 

From  two  other  factories  in  Winston,  and  from  one  in  the  vicinity,  no 
information  was  obtained.  Their  aggregate  annual  production  of  plug  and 
twist  is  estimated  at  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds. 

Besides  the  factories  in  the  town  of  Winston,  there  are  many  points 
within  a  comparatively  short  distance,  and  most  of  which  purchase  their 
stocks  in  the  Winston  market.     Chief  among  these  is 

Mount  Airy, 

in  Surry  County,  which  is  in  the  centre  of  a  fine  tobacco  country,  the 
products  of  which  are  "  brights  "  of  fine  color  and  quality,  and  very  superior 
"  mahogany."     Curing  is  effected  by  coal  and  by  flues,  the  latter  coming ' 
into  more  favor,  and  there  is  a  great  demand  for  Lyon's  sheet-iron  flue. 

A  warehouse  was  opened  at  Mount  Airy  a  few  years  ago,  but  was  soon 
abandoned  as  such  and  converted  into  a  factory.  There  are  three  factories 
in  the  town,  to  wit :  those  of  Messrs.  Brower,  Banner,  and  Ashley ;  and 
within  a  radius  of  four  miles  of  the  town  four  more,  those  of  Messrs. 
Sparker,  Patterson,  R.  L.  Gwynn,  and  Fulton.  The  nett  aggregate  product 
of  the  whole  of  the  above  is  about  five  hundred  thousand  pounds. 

Kernersville, 

in  Forsythe  County,  has  five  factories,  producing  in  the  aggregate  about 
three. hundred  thousand  pounds  of  plug  and  twist.  The  manufacturers  are 
Messrs.  King,  Leake,  Beard,  Roberts  &  Co.,  and  Kerner,  all  with  good  and 
increasing  business. 

Bethania, 

in  Forsythe  County,  was  long  ago  widely  known  as  the  seat  of  the  extensive 
cigar  factory  of  Lash  &  Bros.  That  has  long  been  closed,  but  has  been 
succeeded  by  the  plug  and  twist  factory  of  O.  J.  Lehman  &  Co.,  who  make 
about  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  yearly  ;  and  in  the  vicinity  is  the 
factory  of  C.  H.  Orender,  who  makes  about  seventy-five  thousand  pounds 
of  the  same. 

D.  W.  Dalton,  in  Stokes  County,  twenty  miles  from  Winston,  makes  of 
plug  and  twist  about  one  hundred  thousand  pounds. 

N.  D.  Sullivan,  at  Walkertown,  in  Forsythe  County,  is  one  of  the  most 
noted  manufacturers  in  the  county,  his  work  being  uniformly  fine.  He  is 
remarkable  for  his  strict  adherence  to  his  prices,  not  permitting  his  agents 


21 

to  sell  for  more  than  the  sum  he  had  fixed,  even  though  there  had  been  an 
advance  in  the  market. 

Piggott  &  Co.,  at  High  Point,  Guilford  County,  have  a  plug  factory 
which  produces  between  seventy-five  thousand  and  one  hundred  thousand 
annually. 

At  Walnut  Cove,  in  Stokes  County.  Dr.  Wm.  Lash  has  a  plug  factory 
with  a  yearly  capacity  of  about  seventy-five  thousand  pounds. 

At  Mocksville,  H.  B.  Howard  &  Co.  have  a  plug  factory  with  about  the 
same  capacity  ; 

And  Payne,  Lunn  &  Co.,  at  Salisbury,  have  a  plug  factory  turning  out 
about  two  hundred  thousand  pounds  a  year. 

Aggregate  Production. 

This  can  only  be  ascertained  approximately.  The  three  warehouses  in 
Winston  only  estimate  their  sales  ;  but  suppose  them  to  reach  seven  millions 
of  pounds  for  the  crop  season  closing  with  the  month  of  September,  1880, 
the  manufacture  of  nett  tobacco  in  the  Winston  factories  reaches  3,275,000 
lbs.,  to  which  may  be  added  ten  per  cent,  for  stems,  which  gives  3,602,500. 

The  factories  at  Mount  Airy,  Kernersville  and  elsewhere  in  the  sur- 
rounding country,  obtain  most  of  their  stock  in  Winston,  and  this  will  add 
,  at  least  one  million  more  to  the  receipts  of  the  Winston  warehouses.  To 
this  must  be  added  the  very  large  amount  bought  on  orders  and  shipped  in 
the  leaf,  and  also  the  large  quantitv  shipped  on  speculation.  The  aggregate 
will  therefore  exceed,  rather  than  fall  below,  the  estimated  receipts  ol  the 
warehousemen. 

All  accounts  coincide  as  to  the  excellent  condition  of  the  growing  crop, 
and  the  large  increase  in  area  planted.  No  account  places  it  less  than 
twenty-five  per  cent.,  and  therefore  the  receipts  on  the  Winston  market  for 
the  next  year  will  fall  little  short  of  ten  million  pounds. 

Revenue  Receipts. 
Dr.  W.  H.  Wheeler,  the  Collector  for  the  5th  District,  kindly  furnishes 
the  following  amounts  paid  on  Tobacco  for  the  vear  ending  June  30th,  1880, 
in  the  different  counties  composing  the  district : 

Alamance S        538  56 

Caswell 15)846  60 

Forsythe 3 14,998  82 

Guilford 24,460  68 

Person  49,204  84 

Rockingham      244,930  67 

Randolph 2,860  08 

Stokes 70,008  70 

Surry 78,486  62 

Total S8oi,335  57 


CHAPTER  II. 

STATESVILLE  SECTION. 

ALTHOUGH  no  market  has  been  permanently  opened  at  this  point,  its 
relation  to  the  rapidly  developing  culture  of  tobacco  in  Iredell  and 
adjoining  counties,  naturally  tributary  to  a  point  commanding  such  superior 
facilities  for  transportation  as  Statesville,  makes  the  existence  of  one  only  a 
question  of  time. 

The  geological  structure  of  this  section  is  also  the  Upper  Laurentian ;  and 
its  similarity  in  general  features  attracted  the  attention  of  tobacco  planters 
from  the  counties  of  Person  and  Caswell,  who  foresaw  the  fruit  that  awaited 
judicious  experiment.  That  experiment  has  been  made  and  with  success,, 
and  the  culture  of  tobacco  now  engages  the  attention  of  the  farmers  of  Ire- 
dell, as  well  as  those  of  Alexander,  Caldwell,  Mitchell,  Wilkes,  Yancey,  and 
others  who  possess  like  characteristics  of  soil  and  climate. 

Mr.  R.  J.  West,  of  Statesville,  engaged  in  the  tobacco  business  for  many 
years,  and  at  present  a  partner  in  a  warehouse  at  Hickory,  furnishes  the 
following  information : 

The  culture  of  tobacco  in  this  section  as  a  market  crop  was  undertaken 
since  the  war.  The  inducement  to  it  was  the  similarity  in  soil  to  that  of  the 
lands  in  Caswell  County  which  produced  the  bright  yellow  tobacco.  Set- 
tlers from  that  and  other  similarly  situated  counties  came  to  Iredell,  some 
as  instructors  in  the  mysteries  of  curing,  but  the  majority  as  permanent 
citizens  of  a  virgin  territory.  Thirty  or  forty  families  from  these  counties 
are  engaged  in  the  cultivation.  Their  success  has  been  marked,  the  result 
being  a  rich,  large,  bright  yellow  tobacco,  inferior  to  the  best  Caswell  tobacco 
only  in  texture.     Fine  dark  wrappers  and  good  rich  fillers  are  made. 

The  production  this  year  in  Iredell  County  is  estimated  at  a  million  and 
a  half  of  pounds,  the  increase  over  last  year  being  several  hundred  per 
cent.,  and  success  will  lead  to  a  future  wide  expansion  of  the  crop.  The 
market  for  this  has  been  divided  between  Hickory  and  Winston,  but 
Hickory  will  be  the  chief  market  for  the  incoming  crop.  Shipments  have 
been  made  to  Danville,  aad  more  or  less  of  the  crop  will  always  seek  dis- 
tant markets. 

Little  or  no  tobacco  is  raised  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  but  in 
all  other  parts  the  culture  is  rapidly  increasing.  One  immediate  effect  has 
been  the  increased  value  of  lands,  which  have  risen  from  three  dollars  an  acre 
to  ten  dollars  and  upwards.  , 

The  counties  tributary  to  Statesville  are  reported  to  be  making  rapid 
strides  in  tobacco  culture.  In  Caldwell  and  Alexander  Counties  the  lands 
are  thought  even  better  than  in  Iredell,  and  Wilkes  County  is  represented 


23 

as  superior  to  all  of  these,  and,  in  all,  the  increase  in  the  crop  this  year  is 
estimated  at  at  least  one  thousand  per  cent. 

In  Mitchell  County,  which  is  north  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  which  is  broken 
and  mountainous,  the  area  north  of  the  North  Toe  (properly  Estato)  River 
is  considered  specially  adapted  to  fine  yellow  tobacco,  being  identical,  in  fact, 
with  the  lands  of  Madison  County,  hereafter  to  be  referred  to. 

Much  attention  is  paid  to  the  improvement  of  the  plant.  The  Messrs. 
Deake,  of  Bakersville,  introduced  the  Yellow  Oronoko  and  Silky  Pryor. 
Tobacco  of  low  grade  had  been  cultivated  for  many  years,  but  it  was  not 
until  the  introduction  of  better  seed  that  attention  was  given  to  curing. 
This  is  as  yet  imperfect,  but  a  crop  from  this  county,  sold  in  the  Lynchburg 
market,  was  pronounced  by  French  and  Italian  buyers  the  best  they  had 
ever  seen.  The  prominent  farmers  in  this  county,  who  may  be  regarded 
as  the  pioneers  of  its  tobacco  interests,  are  Selden  and  Garrett  Bailey,  and 
others  of  that  name  in  Hollow  Poplar  township.  Albert  Slagle  in  Red  Hill 
township  has  the  largest  crop  in  the  county ;  John  Peterson  has  a  large 
crop,  and M'Kinney  one  which  is  described  as  "extra  fine." 

In  Yancey  County,  west  of  and  adjoining  Mitchell,  and  identical  with  it 
in  natural  .features,  there  is  a  considerable  quantity  of  tobacco  raised  on 
Jack  and  Pig  Pen  Creeks,  and  also  on  Carey  River,  which  finds  favor  in 
the  Marshall  and  Ackerville  markets.  In  this  county  the  production  of 
tobacco  increases  with  marvellous  rapidity,  and  will  soon  absorb  all  agri- 
cultural interest,  as  it  is  the  only  crop  which  will  profitably  bear  transporta- 
tion in  the  absence  of  all  railroad  facilities. 

Warehouse  and  Factory  in  Statesville. 

There  has  not  been  in  this  place  the  energy  of  enterprise  to  meet  the  in- 
dustry of  the  planter  which  distinguished  Winston.  One  warehouse,  of  full 
capacity  and  excellent  arrangement,  was  suffered  to  be  closed  through  bad 
management ;  it  is  probable  that  it  will  be  opened  the  coming  season. 
There  is  only  one  factory  in  operation,  that  of  Mr.  McElwee,  which  makes 
both  plug  and  smoking  tobacco,  both  on  a  small  scale.  Mr.  Thomas  J. 
Bennett,  from  Franklin  County,  Va.,  is  foreman,  and  worked  a  plug  factory 
in  Charlotte  in  1858,  and  was  subsequently  with  the  factory  of  Dr.  Keene 
at  Salisbury. 

H.  L.  Ayres  is  a  manufacturer  of  cigars  in  Statesville,  but  uses  Con- 
necticut tobacco  exclusively. 

It  is  impossible  that  such  advantages  of  position  and  proximity  to  so 
large  and  excellent  a  source  of  supply  can  be  neglected  by  the  business 
men  of  Statesville,  who  in  all  else  are  models  of  energy  and  sagacity  ;  there- 
fore their  shortcomings  are  noted,  not  in  condemnation,  but  with  surprise. 


CHAPTER   III. 

HICKORY  AND  ITS  TRIBUTARY  INTERESTS. 

HICKORY,  in  Catawba  County,  is  a  railroad  creation,  springing  up  on 
the  site  of  the  "  Old  Hickory  Tavern,"  the  ruins  of  which,  in  the 
centre  of  the  busy  life  and  fresh-looking  buildings  of  the  new  town,  are 
reverently  preserved,  both  as  a  memento  of  humble  origin  and  as  an 
eloquent  note  of  progress.  The  situation  of  Hickory  on  the  Western 
North  Carolina  Railroad  is  a  commanding  one,  being  the  convenient 
shipping  point  for  part  of  the  adjoining  county  of  Burke,  of  Cald- 
well, Alexander,  the  upper  part  of  Iredell,  parts  of  Wilkes,  Watauga,  and 
McDowell ;  and  it  became  the  centre  of  the  large  miscellaneous  trade  which 
developed  it  rapidly  into  the  dimensions  of  a  very  thrifty  town.  Tobacco 
is  soon  destined  to  rank  as  its  most  important  subject  of  business. 

The  country  around  Hickory  is  rolling,  falling  away  somewhat  boldly  on 
the  south  and  southwest  towards  the  outlying  spurs  of  the  South  Moun- 
tains ;  less  boldly  towards  the  north  and  northwest,  where  it  expands  itself 
in  gently  undulating  folds  ;  the  whole  covered  with  a  not  very  dense  growth 
of  oak,  hickory,  chestnut  and  pine,  with  an  undergrowth  of  dogwood,  gum- 
wood  and  chinquepin.  The  soil  is  sandy  or  gravelly  loam,  gray,  with 
yellow  or  reddish  clayey  subsoil ;  with  few  rocks,  and  they  in  process  of 
disintegration.  The  general  appearance  of  soil  and  growth  readily  sug- 
gests to  the  practised  eye  a  perfect  adaptability  to  the  culture  of  superior 
tobacco,  and  experience  has  confirmed  such  judgment. 

But  the  culture  as  a  market  crop  is  of  very  recent  introduction  and  of 
slow  development,  the  most  rapid  advance  having  been  made  within  the 
last  three  years. 

Mr.  J.  K.  Bobbitt,  a  former  Granville  planter,  furnishes  the  following 
information : 

He  removed  from  Granville  in  1875,  and  settled  in  the  county  of  Burke, 
near  the  Catawba  line,  and  within  a  few  miles  of  Hickory ;  his  object  being 
to  make  fine  yellow  tobacco  on  lands  he  believed  equal  to  the  choicest 
lands  in  Granville  County.  His  success  has  been  complete ;  his  crop  last 
year  averaged  $22.50,  and  he  made  thirteen  hundred  and  seventy-nine 
pounds  On  one  and  a  half  acres.  He  thinks  that  the  plant  has  a  quicker 
growth  and  more  perfect  maturity  than  in  Caswell  or  Granville ;  is  subject 
to  few  diseases,  and  is  altogether  free  from  "  spot,"  which  he  ascribes  to 
cooler  and  moister  nights  ;  but  worms  are  as  troublesome  here  as  elsewhere. 
He  also  thinks  tobacco  is  more  readily  cured  bright  here  than  in  Granville, 
and  that  it  possesses  equal  weight.  More  matured  experience  in  culture, 
curing  and  handling,  he  thinks,  will  make  it  equal  to  the  best. 


25 

In  this  vicinity  the  progress  of  culture  is  readily  traced.  In  1878,  those 
who  made  a  crop  for  market  were  Captain  R.  B.  Davis,  Addison  Morgan 
and  John  D.  Morgan.  In  1879,  in  addition  to  these  were  L.  A.  Boiling,  J. 
A.  Hartsell,  F.  A.  Wiley,  C.  M.White,  Mrs.  Holden,  M.Martin,  P.  B.Sum- 
mers,    Huffman,  and  perhaps  others.     In  1880  there  is  a  large  addition 

to  the  number  of  planters,  as  well  as  a  large  increase  in  the  crop  planted  by 
each  ;  among  whom  are  D.  W.  Rowe,  20  acres;  D.  Abernathy,  12  acres; 
R.  B.  Davis,  10  acres  ;  R.  W.  McComb,  10  acres ;  and  J.  A.  Hartsell  has 
doubled  his  crop.  F.  A.  Wiley,  this  year,  as  last,  has  5  acres  planted 
within  the  corporate  limits  of  Hickory.  In  addition  to  the  above  are  A. 
Morgan,  15  acres  ;  J.  D.  Morgan,  5  acres,  and  P.  K.  Morgan,  6  acres;  all 
within  four  miles  of  Hickory,  in  which  area  there  are  altogether  240  acres 
planted  in  tobacco  this  year. 

The  counties  tributary  to  Hickory  are  all  increasing  their  production  in 
like  proportion.  In  Caldwell  County,  north  of  the  Catawba  river,  it  is  esti- 
mated that  two-thirds  of  the  land  is  suitable  to  fine"  tobacco,  and  the  cultiva- 
tion is  rapidly  increasing.  Among  the  principal  planters  are  W.  P.  Mangum 
and  W.  O.  Mangum,  10  acres  each;  Charles  Satterthwaite,  15  acres;  Sam 
Scheares  and  Chris.  Satterthwaite,  together,  20  acres ;  the  widow  Scheares, 
10  acres  ;  Daniel  Hickman,  7  acres  ;  A.  Martin,  5  acres  ;  Babel  Sherrill,  5 
acres,  and  many  others  ;  and  most  of  the  above  are  from  the  counties  of 
Granville,  Caswell  and  Person. 

In   Burke   County,  near  its  eastern  border,  are  found  J.  K.  Bobbitt,  3 

acres;  Hannibal   Adams,  7  acres; Morgan,  10  acres;   Hugh  Ervin,  3 

acres  ;  Wm.  Adams,  3  acres  ;  Epnraim  Aby,  4  acres  ;  Aaron  Cook,  2  acres, 
and  others ;  these  being  also  mostly  from  the  counties  east.  Beyond  the 
Catawba  river,  in  the  northern  portion  of  Burke,  the  tobacco  impulse  is 
general  ;  and  the  greater  portion  of  the  county  will  eventually  be  cultivated 
in  that  staple,  a  course  justified  by  analysis  of  soils  having  a  large  per- 
centage of  lime  and  potash,  elements  favorable  to  the  production  of  good 
tobacco. 

Wilkes  County  increases  its  crop  this  year  by  several  hundred  per  cent., 
with  a  quality  of  tobacco  said  to  be  equal  to  that  of  Granville.  The  same 
is  said  of  Alexander  Count)'.  McDowell  County  makes  a  very  fine  bright 
tobacco,  but  there  has  not  been  the  same  increase  as  in  the  counties  already 
named.  A  considerable  interest  has  been  roused  in  Lincoln  County,  on  the 
south,  and  the  product  is  a  very  good  bright. 

Mr.  J.  K.  Bobbitt  claims  to  have  been  the  first  to  erect  a  tobacco-barn 
in  the  county  of  Burke,  and  deserves  honor  for  an  example  since  so  exten- 
sively followed.  The  increase  in  the  value  of  lands  in  this  county  has  been 
very  decided,  the  advance  being  from  three  and  five  dollars  to  ten,  fifteen 
dollars  and  upwards  per  acre. 

In  connection  with  the  progress  of  the  tobacco  industries  of  this  section, 
it  seems  proper  to  give  in  his  own  language  copious  extracts  from  informa- 


26 

tion  furnished  by  Mr.  J.  G.  Hall,  of  Hickory,  a  manufacturer,  and  also 
warehouse  proprietor,  a  man  of  intelligence  and  active  enterprise,  to  whose 
energies  the  new  town  of  Hickory  owes  much  of  its  rapid  advance.  He 
says:  "The  progress  of  tobacco  culture  in  Catawba  and  adjoining  counties, 
with  their  centre  of  trade  at  Hickory,  has  not  been  rapid,  but  continuous. 
Prior  to  1877,  little  or  no  attention  had  been  paid  to  it.  It  is  true  that,  up 
to  that  time,  the  firm  of  Marshall,  Lancie  &  Co.,  afterwards  A.  W.  Marshall, . 
had  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  tobacco  at  Hickory,  and  here  and  there 
over  the  county  might  be  found  a  man  who,  coming  from  the  central  tobacco 
regions  of  the  State,  attracted  here,  rfo  doubt,  by  the  finest  climate  i?i  North 
,  Carolina,  would  cling  to  his  first  love  and  endeavor  to  raise  tobacco. 
These  first  planters  may  rightfully  be  styled  the  '  Pioneers  of  Tobacco ' 
upon  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  the  true  Piedmont  region. 
Their  success,  limited  as  it  was,  was  sufficient  to  attract  attention,  and  to  give 
good  foundation  for  the  belief  of  a  few  of  our  citizens  that  '  the  culture  of 
tobacco '  actually  belonged  to  this  section  of  the  State,  and  continuously 
through  the  past  three  years  this  faith  in  our  soil  and  climate  has  been 
proved  by  works,  and  all  our  most  intelligent  planters  ask  is  a  little  more 
time  and  experience  to  place  them  side  by  side  with  the  most  successful 
agriculturists  in  North  Carolina.     .... 

"  We  shall  give  the  practical  result  of  this  confidence.  In  January,  1877, 
Messrs.  Hall  Bros.,  merchants  in  Hickory,  N,  C,  conceived  the  idea  of 
stimulating  the  culture  of  tobacco  by  the  erection  of  a  sales  warehouse, 
which  was  made  ready  for  business  in  February  of  the  same  year.  The 
sales  of  this  warehouse,  the  first  in  Nortn  Carolina  west  of  Salisbury,  were 
of  necessity  small,  reaching  only  sixty  thousand  pounds  during  the  season 
of  1877,  and  then  followed  in  1878  the  block  up  of  all  the  tobacco  markets 
with  the  very  large  crop  produced  in  the  old  tobacco  regions  in  1877.  The 
immense  production  of  that  year,  largely  of  a  very  common  article,  depressed 
prices  to  a  greater  degree  than  known  for  many  years  before  or  since,  and 
had  a  depressing  effect  upon  those  among  us  who  had  hoped  for  a.  home 
market,  t4ie  result  of  which  was  a  partial  abandonment  of  the  culture  the 
next  year  in  some  counties,  particularly  in  McDowell,  though  since  then  it 
has  been  resumed. 

"  In  1878  the  sales  at  Hall's  warehouse  amounted  to  about  one  hundred 
thousand  pounds  ;  but  this  did  not  properly  represent  the  amount  of  pro- 
duction, for  any  one  familiar  with  the  history  of  new  tobacco  markets  is 
aware  that  none  can  control  at  once. more  than  a  portion  of  the  crop  of  the 
surrounding  country.  Our  market  entered  the  lists  against  such  formid- 
able rivals  as  Danville,  Winston,  Durham,  and  Lynchburg.  Against  such 
competition  we  are  happy  to  say,  to-day,  that  with  five  factories  in  Hickory, 
and  the  possibility  of  others  next  spring,  we  shall  have  a  good  demand  for 
all  the  manufacturing  stock  that  the  season  will  produce. 

"  In  1879  Hickory  handled  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds. 


27 

In  February  of  the  present  year  (1880)  another  warehouse  was  erected 
here,  and  the  proprietors,  Messrs.  Wiley  &  Clinard,  have  handled  during 
the  season  about  sixty  thousand  pounds,  with  the  expectation,  during  the 
next  crop  season,  to  increase  that  amount  to  several  hundred  thousand 
pounds.  It  is  estimated  that  these  two  warehouses  will  handle  during  the 
coining  season  one  million  pounds,  and  this  estimate  is  based  upon  the  fol- 
lowing data  : 

"  The  stimulus  given  within  the  last  three  years  to  tobacco  culture  in  this 
section  will  result  in  a  crop  this  season  of  not  less  than  fifteen  hundred 
thousand  pounds  from  the  counties  of  Catawba,  Lincoln,  Cleaveland,  Ruth- 
erford, McDowell,  Burke,  Caldwell,  Wilkes,  and  Iredell.  Some  of  these 
counties  will  continue,  more  or  lees,  to  ship  to  other  markets  ;  but  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  out  of  these  Hickory  will -receive  one  million  pounds,  the  result 
of  the  demand  of  its  factories,  which  consult  their  interests  by  laying  in  their 
stocks  at  home.     .     .     . 

"  Having  given  some  idea  of  the  increase  of  production  since  1877,  I  may 
properly  add  something  about  the  improvement  in  quality.  In  1877  the 
great  bulk  of  the  crop  was  poor  and  trashy  to  an  extent  that  defied  classifi- 
cation. It  was  an  almost  valueless  nondescript.  Every  year  witnesses  im- 
provement, and  now  sweet  fillers  and  good  mahogany  wrappers  are  made 
as  perfectly  as  can  be  desired.  Many  of  the  new  planters  have  not  yet 
acquired  the  skill  in  culture  and  cure  needed  to  bring  out  the  full  perfection 
of  the  '  fine  gold-leaf  tobacco  which  sells  at  its  fabulous  prices  ;  but  these 
same  planters  have  also  demonstrated  the  possibilities  of  this  section  for  the 
highest  excellence  of  that  beautiful  article.     .     .     . 

"We  shall  continue  to  outstrip  those  counties  (the  transmontane  region 
whose  specialty  is  '  bright  yellow ')  in  the  production  of  sweet  waxy 
fillers.     .     .     . 

"  In  regard  to  prices  at  Hickory,  it  is  just  to  our  manufacturers  to  say  that 
a  noble  public  spirit  to  sustain  and  build  up  a  home  market  has  led  them 
sometimes  to  pay  for  their  stocks  more  than  they  would  have  paid  in  other 
markets  ;  at  all  events  paying  the  prices  obtained  at  distant  leading  markets 
with  freight  charges  added.  For  the  fine  grades  buyers  have  paid  twenty 
to  seventy-five  dollars.  At  these  prices  it  must  be  admitted  that  no  great 
margin  for  speculation  is  left.  These  facts  should  convince  our  planters 
that  we  have  a  good  market,  second  to  no  other. 

"  Our  manufacturers  will  use  of  the  present  crop  as  follows :  Hall  &  Daniel, 
five  hundred  thousand  pounds;  A.  W.  Marshall,  fifty  thousand  pounds;  A. 
Martin,  fifty  thousand  pounds;  H.  C.  Latta,  fifty  thousand  pounds,  and 
Cobb  &  Son  twenty-five  thousand.  Other  manufacturers  will  be  added  to 
the  list  before  the  beginning  of  the  working  season  of  1881,  and  it  may 
therefore  be  safely  assumed  that  the  Hickory  manufacturers  will  use  in  1881 
seven  hundred  thousand  pounds." 


28 

Wiley  &  Clinard's  Warehouse, 

known  as  "the  Farmer's  Warehouse,"  was  opened  on  the  4th  of  February, 
1880.  It  is  a  modern  building  100x50.  It  is  well  constructed  and  lighted, 
and  has  excellent  accommodations  and  conveniences  for  the  planter  and  his 
teams.  The  operations  of  this  house  have  been  given  in  the  preceding 
statement.     Mr.  R.J.  West  is  the  auctioneer. 

FACTORIES. 

Hall  &  Daniel 

are  manufacturers  of  plug,  eleven,  ten  and  six  inch  twist.  The  estimate  of 
their  production,  as  well  as  that  of  other  factories  in  Hickory,  is  given  in 
the  statement  of  Mr.  J.  G.  Hall. 

Martin  &  Warren 

make  plug,  twist  and  smoking  tobacco,  ten  inch,  sixes  and  eights  plug,  and 
"  Hickory  "  smoking  tobacco. 

A.  W.  Marshall 
makes  both  plug  and  smoking,  eleven,  ten  and  six  inch  plug. 

H.  C.  Latta 
manufactures  plug  and  twist,  eight  inch  twist  and  ten  and  six  inch  plug. 

Cobb  &  Son 
make  plug  and  twist,  eleven  inch  plug  and  six  inch  twist. 

J.  S.  Tomlinson 

is  the  proprietor  of  the  very  popular  brand  "  Sweet  Sixteen  "  of  smoking 
tobacco,  manufactured  for  him  by  A.  W.  Marshall,  which  is  made  of  home 
stock,  and  commands  ready  sales,  growing  steadily  in  favor. 

The  character  of  the  tobacco  manufactured  in  Hickory  is  similar  in  most 
respects  to  that  made  at  Winston. 

Climatic  Influences  of  this  Section. 

Success  has  invariably  attended  skill  and  industry  in  the  cultivation  of 
tobacco  in  this  section.  The  very  considerable  number  of  planters  who 
have  come  hither  from  the  older  counties  of  Granville,  Caswell,  and  others, 
are  uniform  in  their  testimony  that  they  regard  their  transfer  as  an  advan- 
tageous one  ;  making  tobacco,  they  think,  equally  as  fine,  under  certain  aids 
from  soil  and  climate  they  had  not  before  enjoyed.  Mr.  R.  B.  Davis,  an 
old  planter  from  Halifax  County,  Va.,  but  for  a  number  of  years  a  resident 
and  planter  of  Catawba  County,  N.  C,  in  his  Manual  discusses  this  question 
at  some  length,  a  few  extracts  from  which  are  given. 


29 

Discussing  the  difficulties  with  which  the  planters  of  the  old  counties 
referred  to  have  to  contend,  Mr.  Davis  says : 

"  Now  the  planters  of  Granville  (and  not  of  Granville  only,  but  of  all  the 
border  counties  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina)  know  that  it  is  becoming 
yearly  a  thing  of  increasing  difficulty  to  grow  a  ripe  and  sound  crop.  And 
this  for  the  reason  that  the  plant  will  not  usually  stand  long  enough  on  the 
hill  to  ripen  and  bleach  sufficiently  to  be  easily  cured  yellow.  For,  if  on 
the  one  hand  the  crop  be  too  long  delayed  by  drought,  a  fine  cure  is  out  of 
the  question  ;  while  on  the  other  hand,  if  there  is  rain  enough,  there  is  apt 
to  be  excess  of  it ;  and  then  begin  all  the  diseases  to  which  the  plant  is 
heir — such  as  frenching,  and  firing,  and  spotting,  and  rusting,  and  shedding 
of  the  leaves.  And  with  this  fear  constantly  before  him,  the  planter  is  under 
the  necessity  of  cutting  while  the  plant  is  already  wasting,  but  before  it  is 
fully  and  uniformly  ripe,  giving  him,  as  a  result,  withered  sand  lugs  at  the 
bottom  and  green  tips  at  the  top,  while  the  middle  portion  may  be  such  as* 
he  desires. 

"But  in  this  section  of  the  State  the  planter  is  under  no  such  necessity; 
for  here  the  plant  will  stand  upon  the  hill  until  it  has  ripened  a  clear  lemon 
color  from  top  to  bottom,  without  waste,  or  spot,  or  blemish.  .  .  .  How 
is  this,  then,  to  be  accounted  for  ?  The  true  explanation,  I  undertake  to 
say,  is  to  be  found  in  the  elevation  of  the  Piedmont  as  compared  with  the 
central  portion  of  the  State.  For  it  is  to  this  greater  elevation  that  we  are 
indebted  for  our  cool  nights  ;  and  cool  nights,  in  my  opinion,  are  the  sal- 
vation of  the  tobacco  crop.'' 

(The  elevation  of  the  town  of  Henderson,  in  Granville  County,  is  five 
hundred  and  five  feet  above  tide-water ;  Newton,  in  Catawba  County,  is 
1 02 1  feet.) 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE  TRANSMONTANE  SECTION. 

CROSSING  the  Blue  Ridge  at  the  Swannanoa  Gap  at  an  elevation  of 
2657  feet  above  the  sea,  a  broken  plateau  spreads  out  to  the  limits  of 
the  State  northwest,  west  and  south,  from  which  spring  numerous  moun- 
tain chains,  culminating  in  the  lofty  peaks  of  the  Black  Mountain,  the  highest 
of  which  is  6707  feet  above  sea  level.  There  is  no  level  land  except  narrow 
strips  of  valley  along  the  abundant  streams.  The  only  lands  left  to  the 
cultivator  are  the  numerous  hills,  rising  often  into  the  magnitude  of  moun- 
tains, bold  and  steep,  but  covered  with  deep,  rich,  gray,  friable  soil,  uni- 
versally clothed,  in  a  state  of  nature,  with  a  growth  of  majestic  oak,  chestnut, 
walnut,  locust,  buckeye,  maple,  black  birch  (or  mahogany),  with  frequent 
appearance  in  ravines  of  spruce  pine  and  heavy  undergrowth  of  laurel,  and 
frequently  of  white  pine  of  great  height.  Rock  is  not  frequent,  though 
sometimes  outcropping  in  the  form  of  cliffs  of  moderate  height,  or  in  veins 
which  stand  in  vertical  strata  down  the  sides  of  the  hills,  and  occasionally 
occurring  in  broad  sheets  of  an  acre  or  more,  naked  and  bare,  and  asserting 
a  genuine  mountain  character,  which  otherwise  is  contradicted  by  the  lux- 
uriant foliage  and  giant  size  of  the  trees  and  the  richness  and  beauty  of  the 
flowers. 

The  geological  formation  is  also  of  the  Upper  Laurentian.  The  soil  has 
long  been  noted  for  its  fertility ;  producing  the  cereals  in  great  perfection, 
and  admirably  adapted  to  the  grasses.  At  the  time  when  the  turnpike 
along  the  French  Broad  river  was  the  great  thoroughfare  of  travel  from  the 
west  to  east,  and  when  that  road  was  filled  with  an  endless  throng  of  hogs 
and  sheep  and  cattle  driven  from  the  officina  animalium  of  East  Tennessee 
and  Kentucky,  the  steep  hillsides  and  tops  along  the  road  were  cultivated 
in  corn  for  the  supply  of  the  stock  on  the  way  to  the  markets  of  North  and 
South  Carolina.  The  demand  was  constant  and  the  business  remunera- 
tive. But  the  construction  of  the  railroad  lines  across  the  eastern  end  of 
Tennessee,  connecting  with  both  the  northern  and  southern  markets,  at  the 
gain  both  of  time  and  economy,  brought  the  business  of  the  farmer  to  a 
sudden  end,  except  as  demanded  by  the  necessities  of  his  family.  The 
turnpike  became  almost  as  deserted  as  one  of  the  old  Roman  Ways,  only 
trod  by  the  tourist  or  traversed  by  the  weary  mail-coach  dragging  its  slow 
course  over  a  highway  torn  by  freshets  and  abandoned  to  decay. 

There  was  little  that  the  farmer  could  do  to  better  his  fortunes,  until  the 
fact  dawned  by  slow  degrees  that  these  bold  and  beautiful  hills  had  an 
adaptability  to  the  production  of  very  fine  tobacco  almost  without  equal  in 
the  whole  State  of  North  Carolina. 


31 

Mr.  S.  C.  Shelton,  from  Henry  County,  Va.,  and  Mr.  W.  T.  Dickinson, 
from  Pittsylvania  County,  Va.,  may  justly  claim  to  be  the  pioneers  of 
tobacco  culture  in  this  section,  and  to  have  prepared  the  way  by  which 
home  markets  were  at  last  opened,  or  by  which  the  fame  of  Buncombe  and 
Madison  tobaccos  was  wafted  to  the  more  distant  markets  of  Lynchburg 
and  Richmond.  0(  these  gentlemen  more  will  be  said  in  its  proper 
connection. 

The  increased  production  of  tobacco  in  the  county  of  Buncombe,  and 
the  certainty  that  adjoining  counties  would  speedily  engage  in  the  same 
industry,  suggested  the  enterprise  of  a 

Sales  Warehouse 

in  Asheville,  which  was  undertaken  by  Mr.  J.  D.  Wilder,  of  Danville,  Va., 
who  had  had  large  experience  in  the  warehouse  business  with  Capt.  W.  P. 
Graves,  of  that  town;  and  in  November,  1879,  the  first  warehouse  west  of 
the  Blue  Ridge  was  opened  for  the  use  and  encouragement  of  a  home 
market. 

The  sales  during  the  season  of  the  current  year,  1880,  amounted  to  about 
six  hundred  thousand  pounds.  The  supplies  were  drawn  from  the  four 
counties  of  Buncombe,  Madison,  Haywood  aad  Yancey.  The  attention  of 
planters  has  been  turned  almost  exclusively  to  the  production  of  brights. 
Nearly  everything  sold  in  this  warehouse  during  the  season  were  wrappers 
and  smokers.  Not  over  one  thousand  pounds  of  good  fillers  were  offered. 
In  quality,  Mr.  Wilder  reports  that  the  tobacco  is  somewhat  wanting  in  body, 
but  surpassingly  fine  in  color.  From  want  of  experience,  the  curing  has 
not  been  as  perfect  as  it  ought  to  be,  nor  are  the  appliances  for  curing  the 
most  approved  in  kind ;  and  the  farmers,  from  the  same  want  of  experi- 
ence, are  deficient  in  the  arts  of  handling.  Sorting  is  carelessly  attended  to, 
and  injustice  to  the  finer  kinds  is  done  by  injudicious  intermingling  of 
qualities  and  colors.  But  this  will  be  corrected  as  experience  is  gained. 
The  average  price  for  the  season  was  from  $16  to  $17  per  hundred; 
90  cents  a  pound  was  frequently  obtained,  and  for  small  lots  $2.50  per  pound 
has  been  given. 

The  mode  of  curing  in  common  use  is  with  coal  or  rock  flues.  In  cul- 
tivation farmers  are  beginning  to  use  fertilizers.  The  lands  are  fertile,  but 
the  seasons  are  short,  and  the  maturity  of  the  crop  is  found  to  be  hastened 
by  the  aid  of  artificial  manures. 

The  warehouse  of  Mr.  Wilder  is  near  the  Swannanoa  Hotel,  and  is  a 
wooden  building  94x64,  with  sky-light,  and  ample  accommodations  for  the 
farmers  and  their  teams. 

Of  .this  warehouse  Mr.  J.  D.  Wilder  is  general  manager.  Mr.  J.  J.  Hill, 
of  Danville,  was  auctioneer  the  last  season. 

Mr.  Thomas,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  is  now  erecting  a  large  warehouse,  which 
will  probably  be  ready  for  the  incoming  crop. 


32 

FACTORIES. 

* 

Already  several  of  these  have  come  into  existence,  with  results  so  satis- 
factory as  will  lead  to  the  enlargement  of  their  operations  and  the  erection 
of  others.     That  of 

J.  E.  Ray 

has  been  in  operation  since  1875,  and  now  obtains  all  its  supplies  at  home. 
Its  operations  are  yet  somewhat  contracted,  six  or  eight  hands  being  em- 
ployed. Its  brands  are  in  high  repute — smoking  tobacco  alone  being  made. 
They  are  "  Asheville's  Best,"  made  of  the  best  bright  leaf,  exceedingly  beau- 
tiful. The  next  in  order  is  "  Black  Mountain  "  and  "  Swannanoa,"  both  of 
which  are  fine  grades.  Mr.  Ray  uses  some  flavoring,  principally  "  deer 
tongue,"  obtained  from  the  North  Carolina  coast  counties. 

The  tobaccos  of  this  factory  are  gaining  repute  abroad  as  well  as  at  home, 
the  greatest  demand  being  from  Richmond,  Va.,  and  Galveston,  Texas. 

Mr.  S.  C.  Shelton 

is  both  manufacturer  and  planter.  In  the  latter  capacity  he  came  to  Bun- 
combe County  from  Henry  County,  Va.,  with  the  view  of  testing  the  soil 
and  climate  of  this  mountain  region.  He  began  his  experiments  with  three 
acres,  with  results  so  satisfactory  that  he  gradually  enlarged  his  operations 
to  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  This,  however,  he  has  much  reduced, 
having  engaged  in  manufacture. 

He  thinks  soil  and  climate  both  better  suited  to  fine  wrappers  and 
smokers,  though  good  fillers  can  be  and  are  produced  in  limited  supply. 
The  use  of  fertilizers  on  fresh  lands  has  not  been  deemed  necessary,  but 
Mr.  Shelton  approves  their  use,  and  this  year  applied  them  liberally. 

The  causes  which  favor  the  production  of  fine  tobacco  so  especially  are 
the  elevation  of  the  country,  the  dryness  of  the  climate  by  day,  and  the  cool- 
ness and  moisture  of  the  nights.  Tobacco  "  yellows"  on  the  hill  much  more 
readily  and  uniformly  than  in  the  country  east  of  the  mountains,  and  the 
curing,  done  by  flues  or  coal,  is  effected  more  quickly.  The  variety  planted 
principally  is  the  broad-leaved  Oronoko ;  the  Silky  Pryor  is  the  next  best. 
The  climate  or  soil,  or  both,  does  not  appear  to  suit  the  Connecticut  seed 
leaf. 

Since  Mr.  Shelton  came  to  Buncombe  the  culture  of  tobacco  has  rapidly 
developed,  and  he  thinks  it  destined  to  be  the  finest  section  in  the  United 
States  for  the  finer  and  fancy  qualities.  It  is  becoming  the  chief  industry 
of  the  county.  Mr.  Shelton  is  the  patentee  of  a  new  process  of  curing, 
which  will  be  spoken  of  in  its  proper  place. 

He  took  the  first  premium  at  the  State  Fair  in  1871  for  bright  wrappers, 
and  the  same  at  the  Virginia  State  Fair  at  Richmond  in  1872.  At  the 
Vienna  Exposition  he  was  awarded  a  silver  medal  for  his  brand  "  Speckled 
Trout "  of  manufactured  tobacco,  and,  at  the  Paris  Exposition,  had  honor- 
able mention  for  the  same  brand. 


33 

His  factory,  in  Asheville,  is  engaged  in  making  a  favorite  brand  of  twist, 
put  up  in  very  novel  and  attractive  form,  and  also  in  the  manufacture  of 
superior  and  much  admired  smoking  tobacco,  for  which  there  is  already  a 
steady  demand. 

E.  J.  Holmes 

began  the  manufacture  of  smoking  tobacco  in  Asheville  on  the  15th  of 
January,  1880.  He  employs  at  present  eight  hands,  and  makes  three 
brands  :  "  Golden  Leaf,"  which  is  remarkably  beautiful,  unequalled  in  bril- 
liancy of  color,  and  much  admired  for  fine  flavor.  "  Land  of  the  Sky  "  and 
"  Pisgah  "  are  lower  grades,  but  both  of  excellent  quality.  The  raw  mate- 
rial is  bought  on  the  Asheville  market.  The  natural  leaf  alone  is  used  ;  no 
flavoring  whatever  being  added.  These  brands  are  in  great  demand  for  the 
South  Carolina  and  Alabama  markets. 

Mr.  Israel,  connected  with   this   factory,  prized   the   first   hogshead  of 
tobacco  ever  shipped  from  Buncombe  County  to  Danville,  in  the  year  1872. 

J.  R,  Sams  intends  during  the  fall  to  begin  the  manufacture  of  smoking 
tobacco  in  Asheville. 

Arden. 

One  and  a  half  miles  from  the  Henderson  County  line  and  ten  miles  south 
of  Asheville  is  Arden  Park,  at  which  lives  Mr.  C.  W.  Beale.  He  has  in 
operation  a  cigarette  factory,  the  material  for  which  is  obtained  in  the 
vicinity.  Tobacco  is  cultivated  all  around  and  in  the  adjoining  county  of 
Henderson,  and  extensive  preparations  are  now  being  made  by  clearing  the 
mountain  sides  to  engage  largely  in  the  cultivation  next  year.  The  country 
on  the  south  of  Asheville  contains  much  gently  undulating  land,  with  broader 
valleys  than  are  found  to  the  north  ;  these  are  flanked  by  mountains  of 
moderate  height,  and  with  an  inclination  gentle  enough  to  invite  to  culti- 
vation. The  soil  is  darker,  with  a  greater  admixture  of  clay,  than  the  north 
side  of  the  county.  Mr.  Beale  thinks  both  climate  and  soil  develop  in  the 
tobacco  grown  here  peculiar  characteristics  of  flavor,  giving  it  a  marked 
resemblance  to  Turkish  tobacco.  Samples  sent  to  Constantinople  have 
compared  favorably  with  the  celebrated  Latakia  of  Asia  Minor.  This 
tobacco  ripens  early,  and  cures  bright  with  great  readiness. 

The  cigarette  factory  at  this  point  is  the  first  of  its  kind  west  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  the  peculiar  excellence  .of  its  product  is  giving  it  a  wide  repute. 
It  was  commenced  during  the  year  1880,  and  is  under  the  management  of 
Mr.  James  Riley,  recently  from  Buckinghamshire,  England. 


CHAPTER  V. 
DOWN  THE  FRENCH   BROAD,  BUNCOMBE   AND  MADISON. 

1AHE  road  down  the  French  Broad  leaves  Asheville  at  some  distance 
from  the  river,  at  liberty  to  divert  itself  for  a  while  through  a  country 
hilly  but  not  mountainous.  But  the  license  is  soon  withdrawn,  and  four 
miles  from  Asheville  the  road  is  compelled  to  come  to  the  river  side,  and 
between  the  broad  and  boisterous  torrent  on  the  one  hand  and  the  obtrusive 
and  rugged  hills  on  the  other,  is  glad  to  compromise  for  the  narrow  pass- 
way  left  between  its  rude  antagonists.  Here  and  there,  at  long  intervals, 
the  hills  retreat  far  enough  to  permit  the  erection  of  such  comfortable 
mansions  as  that  of  General  Vance,  or  such  hospitable  hostelries  as  that  of 
Mr.  Alexander,  or  such  typical  farm-houses  as  that  of  Mr.  Brown.  With 
these  exceptions,  there  is  scarcely  room  enough  between  river  and  moun- 
tain for  house  to  stand,  until  the  "Midway  House,"  a  mile  from  Marshall, 
twenty-one  miles  from  Asheville,  is  reached. 

But  because  the  gorge  is  narrow  and  because  the  hills  are  bold,  it  does 
not  follow  that  nature  holds  unbroken  sway.  These  hills  are  covered  with 
deep,  rich  soil,  and  crowned  with  grand  forest  growth.  They  are  easily 
brought  into  cultivation,  and  respond  generously  to  the  demand  upon  them. 
Once,  as  before  stated,  they  were  devoted,  where  cleared,  to  corn  and  other 
grain ;  now  they  are  coming  into  more  profitable  use  for  tobacco.  Occa- 
sionally, fine  crops  are  seen  almost  overhanging  the'  roadside  ;  but  it  is 
farther  back  from  the  river  that  the  new  enterprise  is  more  largely 
engaged  in. 

Mr.  A.  M.  Alexander 

is  one  of  the  largest  cultivators  along  the  river.  He  lives  ten  miles  north 
of  Asheville,  at  French  Broad  Post-office ;  at  which  point  is  that  delightful 
summer  resort  so  well  known  to  the  eastern  tourist.  He  has  been  engaged 
in  the  culture  of  tobacco  about  eight  years,  increasing  his  crop  each  year, 
and  in  1S80  having  a  crop  of  thirty  acres.  Crops  here  are  estimated  by  the 
acre,  not  by  the  number  of  hills  as  in  the  eastern  counties. 

For  bright  wrappers  Mr.  Alexander  relies  exclusively  on  new  ground. 
In  clearing  such  the  timber  is  merely  deadened,  the  undergrowth  cleared 
or  burnt  off,  the  ground  then  coultered,  then  ploughed  with  a  narrow  bull 
tongue,  then  harrowed  and  raked,  and  then  the  hills  are  made. 

Up  to  this  year  he  has  not  used  artificial  fertilizers.  They  are  now 
coming  into  use  for  lands  not  fresh.  The  Star  brand  and  Ober  are  prin- 
cipally used.  * 

Seed  are  put  in  the  plant  beds  in  February,  and  plants  set  out  from  the 
ist  to  the  ioth  of  June.     Last  year  Mr.  A.  planted  some  as  late  as  the  22d 


35 

of  July,  and  for  the  proceeds  of  that  planting  received  $14  per  hundred. 
He  works  his  tobacco  about  four  times.  He  tops  first  to  eight  leaves, 
reducing  them  subsequently  to  six.  More  care  is  being  taken  with  grading 
than  before,  and  tobacco  is  now  divided  into  six  classes.  Curing  as  a  rule 
is  by  flues,  Ragland's  plan  being  followed. 

Worms  are  quite  as  abundant  here  as  elsewhere,  and  the  bud-worm  is 
troublesome. 

Mr.  Alexander's  system  of  farming  is  to  clear  his  steep  hillsides  and  put 
them  the  first  year  in  tobacco.  The  next  year  he  seeds  these  down  to 
grass — timothy,  orchard  and  clover — and  has  now  one  hundred  'acres 
heavily  covered.  This  is  not  the  universal  practice.  Every  farmer  now 
cultivates  tobacco,  but  often  uses  the  same  land  to  the  fourth  year.  The 
increase  this  year  in  the  vicinity  of  French  Broad  Post-office  is  about  35 
per  cent,  over  last  year.  Lands  have  advanced  in  price,  and  are  valued  at 
from  $5  to  $10  per  acre.  50  cents  to  $1  an  acre  not  long  ago  was  the  gen- 
eral valuation  of  mountain  lands. 

The  prosperity  of  the  people  is  rapidly  increasing.  Tobacco  brings  money 
into  every  household.  Last  year  Mr.  Alexander  had  a  female  tenant  who 
cultivated  two  and  a  half  acres  with  her  own  hands,  and  her  crop  was  sold 
in  the  Richmond  market  for  $680. 

Mr.  J.  M.  Smith 

lives  in  Madison  County,  immediately  across  the  Buncombe  line,  and  be- 
tween the  waters  of  the  French  Broad  and  Big  Ivy.  His  lands  are  a  con- 
tinued succession  of  bold  rolling  hills,  rising  to  an  elevation  of  from  four 
hundred  to  five  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  Big  Ivy,  with  absolutely  no 
level  ground,  the  hills  rising  abruptly  from  the  course  of  the  small  streams 
which  intersect  them,  compelling  the  use  of  the  hillsides,  however  steep 
they  may  be.  The  soil  is  a  rich  gray  loam,  with  yellowish  sandy  subsoil. 
When  cleared  the  land  is  easily  worked,  and  does  not  readily  wash,  owing 
to  the  depth  and  porousness  of  the  superincumbent  stratum.  Mr.  Smith 
has  land  in  tobacco  which  he  has  been  cultivating  for  the  fourth  year ;  but 
he  relies  for  his  best  results  on  new  ground.  These,  like  Mr.  A.  M.  Alex- 
ander, he  is  seeding  to  grass,  to  which  he  has  now  devoted  about  one 
hundred  acres.  . 

He  uses  fertilizers  on  the  older  lands,  beginning  with  the  third  year.  He 
plants  the  broad-leaved  Oronoko,  about  five  thousand  plants  to  the  acre.  He 
has  been  engaged  in  tobacco  culture  since  1870,  beginning  with  fifteen  acres, 
but  subsequently  reducing  his  crop  until  he  had  acqufred  experience,  and 
then  gradually  enlarging  until  now  he  has  fifty-four  acres  in  cultivation, 
which,  like  all  the  crops  seen  in  this  section,  were  in  perfect  condition. 

Approving  the  tenant  system,  he  puts  it  largely  into  practice,  to  his 
advantage  and  that  of  his  tenant.  A  tenant  was  pointed  out  who  came  to 
him  the  year  before  last  absolutely  penniless,  but  willing  to  work ;  telling 


36 

Mr.  Smith  if  he  would  erect  him  a  cabin  and  put  him  in  charge  of  a  few- 
acres,  he  would  marry  and  make  a  crop  of  tobacco.  Mr.  Smith  built  the 
cabin  and  assigned  him  a  portion  of  a  ten-acre  field  sloping  abruptly  towards 
the  north,  and  in  which  the  girdled  trees  were  still  standing.  His  first 
year's  crop  brought  him  $650,  after  paying  one-third  of  the  proceeds  of  sale 
to  his  landlord. 

This  is  the  country  for  the  poor  but  industrious  man.  Mr.  Smith  has  ten 
tenants  who  cultivate  each  from  four  to  ten  acres.  One  tenant  last  year, 
from  one  and  a  half  acres,  cured  and  sold  eight  hundred  and  thirty-nine 
pounds,  for  which  he  received  $345.94.'  Another  from  four  and  one-quarter 
acres  last  year  made  two  thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighty  pounds,  for 
which  he  received  $985.72  ;  and  from  the  same  extent  of  ground,  the  year 
previous,  made  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  ninety-four  pounds,  for 
which  he  was  paid  $824.20. 

In  cultivation,  Mr.  Smith  gives  one  thorough  working  with  the  plough 
and  goes  through  three  times  with  the  hoe.  He  tops  to  eight  leaves  as  soon 
as  can  be  done  without  injury  to  the  top  leaves.  He  cures  altogether  with 
reference  to  wrappers  and  smokers,  using  flues,  both  iron  and  rock.  Coal 
is  not  much  used. 

He  plants  the  last  of  May  or  first  of  June.  Tobacco  ripens  by  the  first 
of  September,  yellowing  well  on  the  hill,  curing  in  the  barns,  which  he  makes 
eighteen  feet  square,  with  five  and  a  half  tiers,  being  perfected  in  sixty  or 
seventy  hours.  He  thinks  both  climate  and  soil  exactly  adapted  to  the 
fullest  development  of  a  superior  article  of  tobacco.  The  latter  contains  all 
the  necessary  elements ;  and  the  former,  through  the  influence  of  cool  nights, 
and  the  nightly  appearance  of  fogs,  which  not  only  supply  moisture  but 
protect  against  early  frost,  supplying  all  the  conditions  for  a  perfect  plant. 

The  crop  here  has  no  special  enemy  except  the  worm,  which  is  not  very 
troublesome.     The  crop  is  gone  over  thoroughly  once  a  week. 

The  elevation  of  Mr.  Smith's  farm  is  about  twenty  thousand  eight  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  He  finds  an  eastern  or  southern  exposure 
the  most  advantageous. 

Mr.  Smith  and  his  neighbors  sell  mostly  in  the  Lynchburg  market.  The 
esteem  in  which  the  Madison  tobacco  is  held  is  demonstrated  by  the  fol- 
lowing account  sales  of  ten  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty-five  pounds 
sold  by  Lee,,  Taylor  and  Payne,  Lynchburg,  last  winter  for  Mr.  Smith,  the 
original  of  which  is  in  the  possession  of  the  writer  of  this.  The  prices  paid 
seem  to  indicate  that  all  the  requisites  of  color,  body,  size  and  perfectness 
of  leaf  were  fully  met: 

at                 90  $  48  60 

85  88  40 

70  139  30 

69  223  56 

68  80  24 


One  lot 

54  pounds 

One  " 

104 

One  " 

199 

One  " 

324 

One  " 

118 

37 


Three  lots 

387  poum 

One 

167 

One 

251 

Two   ' ' 

605 

Two 

444 

Two   " 

646 

Two 

272 

One 

414 

One 

345 

One 

399 

Three  " 

843    " 

One 

53 

One 

144 

Two 

537 

One 

47 

Five 

1810 

Two 

333 

One 

26 

One 

300 

Two 

294 

One 

165    " 

One 

162    " 

Two 

308 

One 

136 

One 

93 

One 

233 

One 

189    " 

One 

60 

One 

373 

at 


65 

251  55 

60 

100  20 

56 

140  56 

55 

332  95 

51 

226  44 

50 

323  00 

49 

133  28 

48 

198  72 

47 

176  25 

46 

183  54 

45 

389  35 

44 

23  32 

43 

61  92 

42 

225  54 

4i 

19  27 

40 

724  00 

38 

88  54 

37 

9  62 

36 

108  00 

35 

102  90 

34 

56  10 

32 

5i  84 

30 

92  40 

29 

39  44 

27 

25  11 

25 

58  25 

22J 

42  52 

21* 

12  90 

20 

74  6o 

10,765 

Or  an  average  of  over  $45.00  per  hundred. 


$4852  21 


W.  T.  Dickinson 

lives  in  Buncombe  County,  near  Weaversville,  ten  miles  northeast  of  Ashe- 
ville,  and  is  largely  engaged  in  the  culture  of  tobacco.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  experienced  farmers  in  the  county,  having  acquired  his  knowledge  in 
Pittsylvania  County,  Va.«,  from  which  he  removed  to  Buncombe  in  1854. 
He  is  therefore  fully  competent  to  form  an  accurate  judgment  upon  the 
quality  of  the  mountain  tobacco.  His  crop  this  year  is  forty-four  acres, 
of  which  thirty-two  are  in  one  body. 

His  lands  are  gray,  with  red  clay  subsoil,  soil  much  broken  and  heavily 
timbered.  Planting  is  done  late  in  May  or  early  in  June,  and  the  plants 
grow  off  readily,  yellowing  finely  in  the  field,  and  ready  for  cutting  early  in 
September. 


38 

From  the  ease  with  which  curing  is  effected,  Mr.  Dickinson  thinks  both  soil 
and  climate  peculiarly  adapted  to  fine  tobacco.  He  thinks  it  matures  earlier 
than  in  Virginia,  through  the  influence  of  cool  nights  and  heavy  dews.  In 
curing  he  uses  the  ordinary  sheet-iron  flues.  The  time  of  curing  is  short- 
ened by  the  maturity  of  the  leaf  as  it  comes  from  the  fields.  He  uses  fertil- 
izers, the  Anchor  brand,  on  all  his  lands,  old  and  new,  with  a  product  of 
about  twelve  hundred  pounds  to  the  acre. 

The  cultivation  is  rapidly  extending.  Yellow  tobacco  is  almost  the  sole 
object.  The  lands,  which  are  cheap  and  abundant,  and  held  at  an  average 
of  five  dollars  per  acre,  are  taken  up  by  the  citizens  of  the  vicinity,  and,  as 
yet,  there  is  little  immigration  into  this  part  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Dickinson  sells  partly  in  Danville,  partly  in  Lynchburg,  and  obtains 
good  prices.     His  last  year's  crop  is  still  on  hand. 

He  describes  the  lands  in  Yancey  County,  adjoining  Buncombe  and 
Madison,  as  identical  in  character,  and  coming  rapidly  into  use  for  the  same 
purposes.  In  all  these  counties  he  estimates  the  increase  of  the  crop  of 
this  year  over  that  of  the  last  at  from  one  hundred  to  three  hundred  per 
cent. 

Marshall  and  Vicinity. 

Marshall,  the  county  seat  of  Madison  County,  is  compressed  into  one  of 
those  narrow  recesses  which  rarely  open  in  this  -part  of  the  French  Broad, 
the  open  ground  being  not  more  than  eighty  yards  wide  and  extending 
about  four  hundred  yards  along  the  river.  A  small  island  in  front  once 
formed  part  of  the  town,  but  was  overflowed  in  the  great  flood  of  1877,  and 
has  now  reverted  to  nature.  Back  of  the  steep  and  toppling  hills  which 
overhang  the  town  lies  a  country  broken  and  mountainous  indeed,  but 
very  fertile.  These  are  reached  from  the  river  through  the  narrow  gorges 
which  occasionally  divide  the  hills,  and  furnish  roadways  roughly  available 
for  vehicles.     These  furnish  the  roads  to  market. 

Since  the  discovery  of  the  capacity  of  the  lands  for  the  production  of 
fine  tobacco,  they  have  come  rapidly  into  use. 

The  superior  fertility  of  the  Madison  County  lands  makes  itself  known  to 
the  most  careless  observation.  The  great  size  of  the  trees,  their  greater 
variety,  the  luxuriousness  of  foliage,  and  the  density  of  the  undergrowth, 
all  indicate  wonderful  exuberance  of  soil,  increasing  in  richness  with  the 
descent  of  the  French  Broad  ;  and  Madison  County  may  justly  claim  to 
possess  advantages  surpassed  by  no  other,  if  equalled  by  any  county. 

The  course  of  the  French  Broad  is  generally  north.  All  the  lands  on  the 
east  side  are  finely  adapted  to  tobacco,  those  on  the  west  largely  so,  but  to 
less  extent.  The  culture  within  the  past  three  years  has  become  a  part  of 
the  business  of  almost  every  farmer.  The  increase  this  year  in  acreage  is 
about  fifty  per  cent. 

In  the  infancy  of  a  great  industry  its  pioneers  deserve  honorable  men- 
tion, and  the  names  of  some  of  the  farmers  within  a  radius  of  five  miles  of 
Marshall  are  given. 


39 

Wallace  Rollins  adopts  the  tenant  system,  and  has  this  year  one  hun- 
dred acres  in  cultivation ;  I.  Nichols  has  30  acres;  H.  Rice,  28  acres ;  James 
M.  Gudger,  27  acres;  H.  A.  White,  25  acres;  P.  H.  Kilpatrick,  20  acres; 
M.  A.  Robinson,  20  acres;  Z.  Henderson,  15  acres;  J.  M.  Robinson,  15 
acres. 

At  Mars  Hill,  ten  miles  north  of  Marshall,  H.  J.  Carter,  S.  C.  Huff,  I.  R. 
Sams,  and  E.  Carter,  average  about  fifteen  acres  each. 

Last  year  Z.  Henderson,  from  two  and  three-quarter  acres,  netted  $1027  ; 
Lee-  Henderson,  from  one  hundred  and  forty  rods,  sold  four  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds  at  75  cents  per  pound  ;  renters  from  fifty  acres  averaged  $2 12 
per  acre. 

Morning  fogs  along  the  river  are  of  almost  daily  and  nightly  occurrence, 
with  the  singular  exception  of  the  area  embracing  the  Warm  Springs,  six- 
teen miles  below  Marshall,  which  is  said  never  to  be  obscured  by  fog. 
This  njay  be  the  result  of  the  thermal  influences,  which  give  heat  to  the 
Warm  Springs  and  which  equalize  temperature.  These  fogs  are  consid- 
ered highly  advantageous  to  tobacco  in  giving  moisture  and  in  retarding 
frosts.  The  season  of  maturity  being  prolonged,  that  for  planting  may  be 
postponed.  Last  year  Z.  Roberts  planted  on  the  29th  of  June  and  obtained 
an  average  of  $30  for  his  crop,  making  seven  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  to 
the  acre.  Geo.  Gohagan  planted  late.  In  ninety  days  from  planting  his 
crop  was  cut,  for  which  he  was  paid,  at  the  barn,  $25  for  the  crop,  round. 

The  average  per  acre  throughout  Madison  and  Buncombe  is  estimated  at 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  to  eight  hundred  pounds. 

MARKETS. 

Most  of  the  tobacco  of  the  county  is  carried  off  to  Richmond,  Lynch- 
burg, and  some  to  Danville.  A  fair  proportion  is  sold  at  home.  Mr.  D.  F. 
Davis,  merchant  at  Marshall,  is  a  considerable  handler,  having  taken  last 
year  direct  from  the  farmers  about  sixty  thousand  pounds,  acting  as  their 
agent,  and  he  finds  from  the  number  of  sellers  that  nearly  every  farmer  in 
the  county  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  raises  tobacco. 

The  Warehouse 

of  C.  A.  Nichols  &  Co.,  however,  affords  the  largest  facilities  for  the  home 
market.  It  is  a  wooden  building  of  ample  size  and  good  arrangement,  with 
daily  sales  in  proper  season. 

From  a  report  of  sales  made  January  26th,  1880,  it  appears  that  during 
the  preceding  fortnight  sales  of  6,194  pounds  were  made  for  $2,041.25, 
being  an  average  of  $33.00  per  hundred  ;  a  very  high  average,  and  one 
seldom  exceeded.  The  business  of  this  warehouse  during  the  coming 
season  is  expected  vastly  to  increase,  both  on  account  of  the  good  prices 
obtained  there  and  the  very  large  increase  of  production  in  the  surrounding 
country. 


40 

In  addition  to  the  counties  west  of  the  mountains  already  named  as 
engaged  in  the  culture  of  tobacco,  very  encouraging  progress  has  been 
made  in  Haywood,  which  possesses  equal  excellencies  of  soil  and  climate. 
During  this  season  many  very  considerable  crops  have  been  planted,  and 
are  reported  in  good  condition.  Transylvania  County,  equally  favored  by 
nature,  has  undertaken  the  culture,  and  so  have  some  of  the  counties  west 
of  Haywood.  The  whole  country  west  of  the  mountains,  at  all  adapted  to 
tillage,  may  be  expected  to  strive  after  the  same  prize  that  is  enriching  the 
others.  .    - 


CHAPTER  VI. 

IT  thus  appears  from  the  preceding  statements  that  a  new  and  very  large 
territory  is  added  to  the  production  of  that  beautiful  substance,  fine 
yellow  tobacco,  which,  confined  hitherto  to  somewhat  well  defined  limits, 
has  commanded  prices  which  might  almost  appear  fabulous  or  fanciful  had 
they  not  been  sustained  by  healthy  and  unwavering  demand.  The  ques- 
tion may  arise  whether,  with  greatly  increased  supply,  prices  will  not  neces- 
sarily be  reduced.  This  undoubtedly  will  be  the  case  inevitably  were  the 
demand  confined  to  the  United  States,  which,  until  within  a  few  years,  and 
for  special  uses;  has  been  the  sole  consumer.  But  within  those  few  years 
Europe  has  become  somewhat  familiar  with  the  merits  of  bright  yellow 
tobacco.  One  of  the  beneficent  results  of  the  Philadelphia  Exposition  was 
to  bring  the  world  together  ;  to  bring  its  peoples  into  close  contact,  and  pre- 
sent their  varied  industries  and  products  to  comparison  or  contrast.  The 
bright  yellow  tobacco  was  favorably  made  known,  almost  for  the  first  time, 
to  England  and  France.  The  former  has  become  a  consumer  to  a  consid- 
erable and  growing  extent,  the  exports  having  increased  within  two  years 
four  or  five-fold.  But  for  the  antiquated  restrictions  imposed  under  the 
Continental  regie  system,  the  French,  a  nation  of  smokers,  and  constitu- 
tionally nice  and  delicate  in  taste,  would  also  become  large  consumers. 
Italy  and  Austria  also  would  be  glad  to  exchange  their  heavy  nicotized  native 
leaf  for  the  fragrant  and  innocent  weed  of  North  Carolina. 

International  legislation  should  be  invoked  to  destroy  a  system  which 
carries  with  it  the  ignorance  of  political  economy  which  characterized  the 
dark  ages,  and  banish  from  the  commercial  code  modes  fashioned  on  the 
principles  of  monopolies,  the  rewards  of  venal  favorites,  or  the  desperate 
resorts  of  impoverished  monarchs. 

But  the  high  prices  obtained  of  late  years  must  of  necessity  give  way  to 
some  extent  before  the  excess  of  supply  over  a  demand  abroad  dependent 
upon  future  creation. 


41 

The  American  people  lie  under  the  grievous  error  that  they  are  the  prin- 
cipal producers  of  tobacco,  and  that,  as  with  cotton,  the  whole  world  is 
tributary  to  them.  Hence  the)'  are  impatient  under  the  fluctuations  of  the 
market,  ascribing  them  to  the  combinations  among  dealers  by  which  prices 
are  regulated  by  interested  caprice.  It  is  well  that  Americans  should  know 
that  tobaccco  is  the  production  of  almost  every  country  on  the  globe ;  that 
its  flexibility  exceeds  that  of  almost  any  other  agricultural  product ;  that  it 
ranges  from  the  equator  to  from  40  to  45  degrees  on  either  side  ;  that  it  is 
of  universal  consumption  ;  and  that  therefore,  as  a  foreign  product,  Amer- 
ican tobacco  can  enter  upon  the  markets  of  Europe  in  successful  competi- 
tion only  by  some  incontestible  excellencies  of  quality  and  with  some 
favorable  conditions  of  price. 

The  total  crop  of  the  United  States  for  the  four  years  ending  in  1874  was 
1,775,000,000  pounds;  the  total  exports  abroad  for  the  same  period  were 
982,697,476  pounds.  Now,  the  United  States  come  into  competition  with 
the  following  countries,  whose  products  are  given  for  the  year  1874 : 

The  German  Empire  produced  99,516,501  lbs.,  Hungary  45,000,000, 
the  average  price  of  which  was  3s.  6d.,  the  tobacco  being  bright,  and  used 
for  cigars  and  cutting.  The  Austrian  Empire,  including  Hungary,  pro- 
duced 58,000,000  lbs.  Turkey  produced  43,000,000  lbs.  of  light  yellow 
tobacco,  used  for  cigars  and  cutting,  the  best  coming  from  Macedonia  and 
Syria.  The  prices  varied  from  3d.  to  from  3s.  to  4s.  There  were  no 
exports  to  the  United  States,  all  being  to  other  parts  of  Europe.  North 
Brazil  produces  a  tobacco  used  for  cigars  and  cutting,  at  a  price  from  3d.  to 
is.  6d.  The  exports  from  Bahia,  which  were  mainly  to  England,  France, 
Germany  and  Holland,  were,  in  1869,  19,914,523  lbs.;  in  1870,  23,864,909 
lbs.;  in  1873,  34,419,385.  The  export  duty  is  9  per  cent,  imperial  and  6 
per  cent,  provincial.  Cuba  produces  exclusively  cigar  tobacco,  at  prices 
ranging  from  is.  to  12s.  A  Cuba  plantation  consists  of  thirty-three 
acres,  and  produces  9,000  lbs.  The  Philippine  Islands  produce  23,000,000 
lbs,  one-half  of  which  is  exported  to  Europe,  at  prices  from  6d.  to  5s. 
The  business  is  a  government  monopoly.  Japan  of  late  years  has  largely 
increased  its  production,  which  is  a  light  brown  leaf,  used  for  cutting,  and 
sold  at  from  3d.  to  8d.  The  plant  is  not  cut  like  American,  but  pulled  at 
intervals.  It  is  largely  used  by  English  manufacturers  when  American  is 
high.  China  produces  a  large  quantity  of  light  brown  and  bright  yellow, 
mostly  consumed  at  home,  except  when  exported  under  the  stimulus  of 
high  prices  abroad.  Prices  range  from  3d.  to  6d.  New  Grenada  produces 
a  cigar  tobacco  valued  at6d.  to  2s. ;  exports  in  186S-9,  12,571,805  lbs.  Java 
exports  33,000,000  lbs.  light  cutting  and  cigar  tobacco,  valued  at  8d.  to 
45. — all  to  Holland.  Ecuador  exports  1,120,000  of  light  cigar  wrappers, 
worth  is.  to  2s.  Venezuela,  Guayaquil  and  Guatemala  export  to  Germany 
and  England  about  4.000,000  lbs.  of  a  poor,  light  cigar  tobacco  which  burns 
badly.     Mexico  produces  a  light  quality,  suitable  for  cigars,  to  the  extent 


42 

of  6,000,000  lbs.,  at  a  price  of  from  8d.  to  is.  6d.  The  business  is  subject 
to  government  restrictions.  Tobasco  produces  a  tobacco  equal  to  Cuba, 
but  the  amount  is  not  accurately  known.  Porto  Rico  produces  a  small, 
light  tobacco  worth  6d. ;  the  exports  in  1871  were  1,489,490  lbs.  to  Ger- 
many and  206,000  to  England.  San  Domingo  produces  a  large,  light 
tobacco  valued  at  6d.  to  is.  6d. ;  the  crop  is  estimated  at  8,960,000  lbs., 
which  is  evidently  too  little.  Jamaica  produces  a  small  crop,  similar  in 
quality  to  Cuba.  Greece  produces  a  light  yellow  cutting  tobacco,  at  a 
valuation  of  from  3d.  to  4d.,  exporting  in  1873,  339,712  lbs.,  mostly  to  Great 
Britain.  France  produced  from  1854  to  1868,  inclusive,  45,843,920.  The 
control  of  tobacco  in  France  is  a  monopoly,  as  will  be  elsewhere  noticed. 
Russia  raises,  mostly  in  the  Crimea,  about  23,000,000  lbs.,  a  tobacco  resemb- 
ling American  brights,  mahoganies  and  blacks,  which  is  air  cured.  None 
is  exported,  and  there  is  an  import  demand.  British  India  produces  large 
crops  of  both  light  and  heavy  tobacco,  mostly  common  cutting,  and  worth 
only  from  i?d.  to  3d.;  but  earnest  efforts  are  being  made  to  improve  the 
quality.  Australia  produces  a  coarse  tobacco,  suitable  for  plug  fillers, 
which  is  protected  by  a  duty  of  25  per  cent,  on  manufactured  tobacco  and 
15  per  cent,  on  leaf.  The  quality  of  the  product  is  improving.  The  yield 
is  1300  lbs.  per  acre.  In  New  South  Wales  the  product  is  976  per  acre, 
in  Tasmania  2016  per  acre.  In  Melbourne  112  shillings  has  been  obtained 
per  ton  for  good  colonial  leaf;  but  good  is  rare,  owing  to  difficulty  of 
curing.  Spain  produces  largely  a  coarse  tobacco.  The  import  is  a  gov- 
ernment monopoly. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  nearly  every  nation  under  the  sun  is  a  producer 
of  tobacco,  and  that  all,  or  nearly  all,  seek  a  European  market.  The 
United  States  thus  find  themselves  faced  by  a  universal  competition.  Nor 
is  this  all.  High  duties  in  Great  Britain  and  Germany  and  government 
monopolies  in  France,  Austria,  Spain  and  Italy,  close  the  gates  to  only 
such  amount  of  imports  as  it  is  the  pleasure  of  those  governments  to  admit. 
To  aggravate  their  disadvantages,  the  Americans  persist  in  the  production 
of  low  grades,  throwing  everything,  good  or  bad,  on  the  market,  over- 
stocking it,  and  keeping  alive,  as  stock  on  hand,  thousands  of  hogsheads 
which  it  would  be  wise  economy  to  destroy,  but  whose  existence  excuses 
holders  in  pleading  in  justification  of  low  prices  an  excess  of  supply  over 
demand. 

The  Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture  for  1878  says :  "  The 
fact  is,  that  in  1869,  the  crop  of  the  United  States  amounted  to  but  324 
million  pounds  against,  in  round  numbers,  424  millions  in  1870,  410  millions 
in  1871 ;  505  millions  in  1S72,  502  millions  in  1873,  358  millions  in  1874, 
520  millions  in  1875,  482  millions  in  1876,  and  581  millions  in  1877,  until 
the  planters  have  gone  on,  year  by  year,  increasing  the  crop,  until  they 
have  glutted  the  markets  of  the  world.  .  .  .  Over-production — that  is, 
the  production  oi  poor  tobacco — is  the  controlling,  cause  of  the  unhappy 


43 

condition  in  which  the  tobacco  planters  of  the  United  States  now  find 
themselves." 

And  again :  "  The  production  of  good  tobacco,  of  whatever  kind,  has 
never  been  too  large.  It  is  the  production  of  poor  tobacco  that  has  caused 
the  mischief.  Like  every  other  farm  product  of  poor  quality,  whether  poor 
cotton,  poor  rice,  poor  wheat  or  poor  corn,  poor  tobacco  has  a  weary  way 
to  travel  to  find  a  purchaser.  ...  In  Liverpool,  Bremen,  New  Orleans, 
Baltimore  and  New  York  alone,  the  stock  had  accumulated  Nov.  i,  1878, 
(and  the  proportion  is  kept  up  to  this  day)  to  159,761  hhds.  against  89,606 
hhds.  for  the  same  day  of  1875." 

The  whole  question  is  summed  up  in  the  following  sensible  conclusion : 

"  1.  That  over-production,  the  production  at  all  of  low  grade  tobacco,  will 
always  result  in  low  prices  for  the  entire  .commodity. 

"  2.  That  the  planters  of  the  United  States  have  the  remedy  in  their  own 
hands,  that  remedy  being  the  reduction  of  area  ;  this  reduction  to  result, 
from  increased  attention  to  cultivation  and  cure,  in  largely  increased  crops, 
to  be  sold  at  greatly  enhanced  prices. 

"  In  a  word,  one  acre  must  be  made  to  yield  what  it  has  hitherto  taken  two 
or  three  to  produce  ;  and  this  quantity  must  be  made  immeasurably  supe- 
rior in  quality  to  that  grown  on  the  greater  number  of  acres. 

"  The  zvhole  world  wants  good  tobacco,  and  will  pay  for  it.  Scarcely  any 
people  on  earth  wants  poor  tobacco,  or  will  pay  for  it  at  any  price:' 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   GREAT   CENTRAL    BELT. 

BY  far  the  most  important  tobacco  region  of  the  State  is  that  which  is 
near  its  geographical  centre.  It  is  in  this  that  this  crop  has  been  the 
great  staple  for  several  generations.  It  is  here  that  the  greatest  experience 
has  been  acquired ;  and  it  is  here  that,  in  certain  grades,  the  very  highest 
excellence  has  been  attained.  This  region  embraces  the  counties  of  War- 
ren, Granville,  Orange,  Alamance,  Person,  Caswell,  and  Rockingham,  and 
portions  of  Chatham  and  Guilford.  Most  of  it  lies  in  the  Laurentian  forma- 
tion, in  which  is  included  the  light  gray  lands  known  as  "  chinquepin  land," 
which  has  been  found  so  suitable  to  the  perfect  production  of  "  bright  yellow 
tobacco."  Other  portions  of  it  are  embraced  in  the  Huronian  system,  in 
which  are  produced  the  darker  tobaccos  suitable  for  fillers  and  mahogany 
or  dark  wrappers.  The  whole  surface  of  this  region  is  generally  gently 
undulating,  but  occasionally  broken  by  lines  of  bold,  steep  hills.  The 
soil  was  originally  covered  with  a  growth  of  many  varieties  of  oak,  hickory, 
poplar,  walnut,  maple  and  pine,  with  heavy  undergrowth  of  dogwood, 
chinquepin,  sour  wood,  and  other  shrubby  trees. 

Tobacco  culture  has  been,  in  most  parts  of  these  counties,  the  industry  of 
generations ;  and  skill,  become  hereditary  in  white  and  black  farmers,  has 
given  the  production  a  character  for  excellence  which  is  sustained  in  every 
market,  and  which  is  equally  prominent  in  both  the  lighter  and  darker 
qualities.  Hence  the  markets  dependent  upon  these  counties  can  obtain 
supplies  of  whatever  grade  that  is  desirable,  giving  them,  when  the  claim 
of  North  Carolina  to  an  independent  position  in  relation  to  the  tobacco 
trade  is  recognized,  a  pre-eminence  of  choice  over  almost  all  others. 

The  wasteful  habits  of  past  generations,  in  possession  of  abundant  labor 
needing  constant  employment,  and  owning  unlimited  bodies  of  forest  land 
inviting  to  clearance,  has  long  since  exhausted  the  virgin  freshness  of  the 
soil.  "  New  grounds  "  are  rarely  to  be  had,  second  growth  lands  become 
their  substitute  ;  but  when  these  do  not  occur,  recourse  must  be  had  to 
artificial  fertilizers.  These  are  universally  relied  upon  as  indispensable  to 
the  production  of  "  bright  yellow  "  on  lands  not  absolutely  fresh.  They 
are  effective  in  imparting  vitality  to  the  still  unexhausted  original  elements 
of  the  soil,  and  giving  the  tobacco  of  this  section  a  character  which  is  the 
wonder  of  the  agricultural  chemist,  as  well  as  the  envy  of  less  fortunate 
rivals. 

The  yellow  tobacco  familiar  on  the  Durham,  Danville  and  other  large 
markets,  and  the  material  of  the  famous  brands  of  Blackwell  &  Co.  and 
others,  was  analyzed  by  the  celebrated  agricultural  chemist,  Dr.  Augustus 


45 

Voelcker,  of  London,*  at  the  instance  of  Mr.  John  Ott,  of  Richmond,  Va. 
It  was  classed  as  "Granville  Bright,"  but   is  the  same  tobacco  used  by 
Blackwell  and  others. 
The  following  is  the  composition  of  the  mineral  portion  (ash) : 

Lime 23-39 

Magnesia  4.05 

Oxide  of  Iron .81 

Potash 18.55 

Chloride  of  Potassium 5.82 

Chloride  of  Sodium 7.17 

Phosphoric  Acid 3.36 

Sulphuric  Acid : 3.37 

Soluble  Silica 13-80 

Fine  Sand 5.72 

Carbonic  Acid  and  Moss 13-96 

100.00 

Deducting   sand  and    carbonic   acid,  and  the  composition  of  the  pure 
tobacco  is  as  follows  : 

Lime 29.12 

Magnesia 5.04 

Oxide  of  Iron :..  1.01 

Potash  23.09 

Chloride  of  Potassium 7.25 

Chloride  of  Sodium 8.93 

Phosphoric  Acid 4.18 

Sulphuric  Acid 4.19 

Soluble   Silica I7-I9 

100.00 

And  the  following  is  Dr.  Voelcker's  analysis  of  the  detailed  composition 
of  "  fancy  brights  "  : 

Moisture 14.68 

fGutn,  or  extractive  matter,  soluble  in  water 36.17 

Mineral  matter 8.92 

Nicotine 1.37 

Resinous  compounds,  oil    and   other  constituents  soluble 

in  ether  and  alcohol 6.68 

{Digestible  woody  fibre 14-43   ) 
Indigestible  woody  fibre 12.42    >     32.18 
Mineral  matter,  insoluble  in  water.. 4.33   J  

100.00 

*  Chemist  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society.  f  Containing  nitrogen. 

%  Nitrogen  of  portion  insoluble  in  water. 


46 

Dr.  Voelcker,  commenting  upon  the  foregoing-  analysis,  says  : 

"  I  find  merely  traces  of  nitrates  in  the  '  fancy  bright  tobaccos,'  which, 
perhaps,  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  the  tobacco  has  a  very  mild  taste ;  for 
in  all  biting  and  strong  tobacco  I  find  the  nitrates  present  in  very  consider- 
able quantities."  And  again  he  says:  "Another  and  most  important  fact 
which  my  investigations  have  brought  to  light  is  that  the  Granville  County 
tobacco  which  you  (Mr.  Ott)  sent  me  contains  little  nicotine,  which  I  am 
inclined  to  regard  as  a  good  feature  in  this  tobacco.  The  coarse,  strong 
tobacco  such  as  grown  in  the  Palatinate,  and  some  of  the  coarse,  highly 
manured  Virginia  tobacco,  contain  three  or  four  times  as  much  nicotine." 
(Note — the  strongest  Virginia  and  Kentucky  tobacco  contains  from  6  to  7 
per  cent,  of  nicotine.)  And  Dr.  Voelcker  adds :  "  '  Granville  Bright '  is  one 
of  the  finest  flavored  mild  tobaccos  I  ever  smoked ;  poor  in  nicotine  and 
albuminous  compounds,  the  absence  of  which  is  a  good  and  distinguishing 
character.  Albuminous  and  nitrogenous  compounds,  when  largely  present, 
give  off  the  odor  of  singed  feathers  or  burnt  bone." 

It  will  be  noted  that  Dr.  Voelcker  uses  the  term  "  Granville  Bright "  as  a 
general  name,  in  the  absence  of  any  classification  for  North  Carolina  tobacco. 
It  is  almost  the  same  as  the  bright  yellow  of  the  whole  State,  that  of  the 
west  varying  slightly  in  composition,  and  should  be  recognized  on  the 
markets  of  the  world  by  the  rightful  and  distinctive  classification  of  North 
Carolina  Brights.  Its  identity  and  its  origin  are  concealed  under  the 
deceptive  and  unmeaning  misnomer  of  Virginia  Strips  / 

While  these  bright  yellow  tobaccos  are  the  distinctive  feature  of  the 
products  of  this  Great  Central  Belt,  the  aim  and  ambition  of  all  planters  to 
produce,  and  the  great  source  of  reward  for  their  labors,  the  great  variety  of 
soils  in  this  belt  offers  inducement  to  the  equal  perfection  of  the  richer  and 
darker  qualities  suitable  for  chewing,  little  inferior  to  the  best  leaf  of  the 
favored  counties  of  Virginia,  which  is  undoubtedly,  for  its  purpose,  the  best 
in  the  world.  Hence,  in  Durham,  in  Henderson,  in  Oxford,  and  in  Dan- 
ville, Va.,  which  is  largely  dependent  on  this  North  Carolina  "  Middle  Belt," 
the  manufacturer  at  home,  the  buyer  on  orders,  or  the  contractor  for  foreign 
governments,  can  on  any  one  market  make  his  selections,  his  orders,  his  con- 
tracts complete,  in  North  Carolina  warehouses,  of  North  Carolina  tobacco. 
It  is  a  wrong,  it  is  an  injustice,  for  which  North  Carolinians  themselves  are 
mainly  responsible  through  their  ignorance  of  the  extent  of  their  resources, 
or  apathy  in  asserting  their  power,  or  ignoble  deference  to  the  influence  of 
an  accepted  classification.  Is  it  right  that  a  State,  which  this  year  will 
produce  fifty  million  of  pounds  of  tobacco;  which  for  some  years  has  fallen 
not  very  far  short  of  this  amount ;  which  produces  almost  exclusively  one 
variety,  the  best  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  and  abundantly  of  other  grades 
which  Virginia  is  not  ashamed  to  adopt  as  her  own,  should  go  abroad  under 
the  protecting  shadow  of  another  name,  and  seek  sale  and  favor  under  the 
patronage  of  a  false  classification  ? 


47 

In  a  review  of  this  middle  belt  it  is  not  proposed,  as  in  the  western  sec- 
tion, to  note  the  operations  of  individual  planters.  In  the  latter  section  the 
business  is  new,  and  the  pioneers  in  it  are  readily  designated.  In  the 
other,  it  is  the  universal  avocation  of  whole  counties,  and  the  individuals 
far  too  numerous  for  specification.  But  information  will  be  given  of  the 
most  important  manufacturing  and  sales  points,  such  as  will  illustrate  the 
magnitude  of  an  industry  which  animates  the  town  and  the  country  alike, 
which  invigorates  agricultural  life,  and  gives  vigor  to  the  energies  of  com- 
merce and  manufactures ;  and  which,  in  addition,  gives  North  Carolina  a 
powerful  motive  and  occasion  to  assert  and  maintain  a  commercial  autonomy, 
merged,  in  the  past,  in  the  life  of  a  venerated  sister  State. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MARKETS.  OF  THIS  SECTION. 

N  the  centre  and  along  the  margins  of  this  belt  are  markets,  sprung  into 
existence  by  a  demand  for  their  agency,  and  operating  as  an  active 
stimulus  to  the  larger  expansion  of  tobacco  culture.  Danville,  in  Virginia, 
and  Milton,  in  North  Carolina,  were  established  markets,  in  minor  degree, 
before  the  war ;  Durham  and  Reidsville,  in  North  Carolina,  have  been 
called  into  being  by  the  trade  in  tobacco,  while  Hillsboro,  Henderson,  and 
Oxford  have  enlarged  greatly  their  original  means  of  prosperity  by  adding 
this  to  their  other  branches  of  business. 

The  market  in  North  Carolina  which  has  made  the  most  rapid  develop- 
ment and  attracted  a  large  share  of  attention  is 


DURHAM, 

in  Orange  County.  It  is  situated  on  the  North  Carolina  Railroad,  twenty- 
five  miles  west  of  Raleigh,  the  capital  of  North  Carolina.  Designated  origi- 
nally as  a  railroad  station,  and  known  at  first  only  for  its  connection  with 
the  State  University,  for  which  it  was  the  point  of  transfer,  it  lingered  in 
undisturbed  obscurity  until  the  chance  operations  of  the  latter  days  of  the 
war  gave  it  notoriety  as  the  halting-place  of  the  victorious  army  of  Sher- 
man in  its  pursuit  of  the  retreating  Johnson ;  halted,  that  negotiations  for 
peace  might  be  entered  into  between  the  chiefs  of  the  hostile  armies. 
These  negotiations  ended  in  terms  honorable  to  Sherman  and  favorable  to 
the  ruined  South  ;  terms,  unfortunately  for  the  wellbeing  of  the  whole 
country,  not  endorsed  by  the  Government  at  Washington,  and  postponing 
for  many  a  long  and  miserable  year  that  pacification  for  which  the  South 
earnestly  and  honestly  longed. 

This  halt  of  Sherman's  army  was  fruitful  of  unlooked-for  consequences 
upon  the  destiny  of  Durham.  The  soldiery,  idle  in  their  camps  and  op- 
pressed by  the  sudden  contrast  of  active  hostility  and  indolent  inaction, 
sought  relief  in  such  solace  as  accident  might  present.  The  little  tobacco 
factory  of  J.  R.  Green  had  wafted  its  cheer  through  the  war  among  the 
comfortless  and  half-starved  ranks  of  the  Confederate  army.  There  was  no 
more  welcome  visitor  from  home  than  a  present  of  Green's  tobacco,  and 
sisters  and  sweethearts  made  it  a  pious  and  a  pleasant  duty  to  express  their 
affection  through  these  little  mementos,  decorated  with  all  the  skill  which 
taste  or  affection  might  suggest.  The  Federal  army  struck  at  its  fountain- 
head  the  source  of  the  cheer  which  lightened  the  hours  of  the  weary  Confed- 
erate.    Durham  proved  no  Capua  to  it ;  but  it  made  impressions  and  it 


49 

begat  tastes  which  became  ineradicable.  Durham  Smoking  Tobacco  be- 
came a  national  necessity.  The  returned  and  disbanded  soldiery  turned 
wistful  and  longing  eyes  back  to  the  scene  which  had  relieved  the  mono- 
tony of  peaceful  camp-life  by  its  grateful  and  luxurious  resources,  and 
impatient  hands  were  stretched  out  from  every  part  of  the  American  Union 
for  a  modicum  of  the  fragrant  compound.  The  effect  on  the  fortunes  of 
Durham  was  immediate  and  surprising.  Factories  sprang  rapidly  into 
existence,  warehouses  were  established,  population  flocked  in,  a  town  grew 
up  around  the  once  obscure  station,  and  now  Durham  is  known  throughout 
the  wide  world  wherever  the  grateful  incense  of  its  tobacco  ascends.  Its 
six  warehouses  sell  annually  from  ten  to  twelve  million  pounds  of  the  planter's 
tobacco.  Its  ten  or  twelve  factories  manufacture  from  four  to  six  million 
pounds  of  a  fabric  which  finds  its  way  to  every  part  of  the  habitable  globe. 
The  population,  the  real  growth  of  the  last  six  years,  has  now  reached 
3,600,  and  continuously  increases.  And  if,  as  it  may  be  hoped  when  the 
magnitude  of  the  tobacco  interests  of  North  Carolina  are  acknowledged,  the 
State  is  recognized  as  a  commercial  factor  in  the  great  transactions  incident 
to  the  traffic,  then  Durham  must  hold  a  more  commanding  position  than  it 
even  now  possesses. 

The  different  business  establishments  will  be  noted  in  detail,  beginning 
with  the  warehouses. 

WAREHOUSES. 

Reams'  Warehouse. 

In  connection  with  the  warehouse  business  of  Durham,  it  is  proper  to 
ascribe  to  H.  A.  Reams  the  honor  of  pioneership  in  the  business.  He  sold 
the  first  leaf  ever  sold  at  auction  in  Durham,  on  the  18th  day  of  May,  187 1. 
His  first  sale  was  in  a  small  factory  building,  in  which  he  continued  until  the 
fall  of  1872;  the  business  having  increased  so  rapidly,  much  larger  floor 
capacity  was  required,  and  in  that  year  he  opened  in  a  warehouse  building" 
erected  by  W.  T.  Blackwell  &  Co.,  in  which  he  continued  until  the  fall  of 
1877  ;  in  that  year  he  erected  his  present  warehouse,  a  building  40x175  feet, 
on  one  of  the  most  elegible  lots  in  the  town,  being  in  its  centre  on  Main 
street,  and  near  the  depot.  In  1879  his  trade  had  so  largely  increased  that 
he  was  compelled  to  enlarge  his  buildings  to  double  their  former  capacity, 
giving  them  now  a  floorage  capacity  of  14,000  feet  of  salesroom,  with  a 
basement  of  the  same  size.  The  warehouse  is  lit  by  32  skylights,  con- 
taining sixty-four  10x20  glass  to  each  skylight,  making  2,048  square  feet  of 
light,  with  435  feet  of  shelter  for  wagons ;  making  the  whole  warehouse  one 
of  the  largest  and  best  arranged  in  North  Carolina.     " 

Mr.  Reams  has  sold  up  to  this  time  some  thirty  million  pounds  of  tobacco, 
and  his  large  yearly  averages  are  well  sustained. 


50 

Parrish  &  Blackwell 
are  the  successors  of  E.  J.  Parrish,  who  presents  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able instances  of  successful  enterprise  in  a  town  where  all  is  life  and  energy. 
He  commenced  the  tobacco  business  in  1871  as  auctioneer,  in  the  first 
tobacco  warehouse  established  in  Durham,  and  continued  as  such  until  1873, 
when  he  became  proprietor  of  the  new  warehouse  just  finished,  and  known 
as  "The  Farmer's."  In  1876  he  was  the  successful  bidder  for  the  "  Durham 
Warehouse,"  which  he  occupied  at  an  annual  rental  of  $2,000  for  three 
years,  and  his  business  increased  rapidly;  and  in  1879  he  erected  the 
present  fine  building,  occupied  now  by  the  firm  of  Parrish  and  Blackwell, 
at  a  cost  of  $32,000,  and  which  is  confessedly  the  best  structure  of  its  kind 
in  North  Carolina.  It  is  of  brick,  56x225  feet,  with  a  deep  and  commodious 
basement  used  for  storage,  and  with  apartments  for  farmers.  The  roof  is  a 
suspension  structure,  pierced  along  its  whole  length  by  four  rows  of  solid 
glass  skylights.  Along  the  sides  run  covered  sheds  the  whole  length  ot 
the  building,  on  one  side  225x16,  and  on  the  other  225x10,  with  a  park-shed 
41x150,  with  two  rows  of  skylights,  large  enough  to  hold  one  hundred 
wagons.  Elegantly  appointed  offices  give  pleasant  places  of  business  to  the 
eight  or  ten  young  men  necessary  for  the  duties  of  the  house  ;  these  offices, 
"like  all  other  parts  of  the  building,  being  lighted  with  gas. 

The  opening  day  of  the  house,  September  29th,  1879,  was  a  prominent 
x>ne  in  the  annals  of  Durham,  many  hundred  farmers  with  their  wagons 
loaded  with  the  tobacco  of  the  adjoining  counties  congregating  to  take 
advantage  of  the  animation  of  the  auspicious  day.  Upwards  of  80,000 
pounds  were  sold  at  this  warehouse  on  that  day,  for  an  aggregate  sum  of 
$15,000;  and  the  happy  fortune  of  so  favorable  a  beginning  has  never 
deserted  the  house.  Mr.  J.  W.  Blackwell  was  admitted  as  a  partner  in  the 
business  of  Mr.  Parrish  in  April,  1880  ;  and  under  the  firm  name  of  Parrish 
&  Blackwell,  the  house  continues  to  enlarge  in  its  operations,  and  claims, 
and  with  reason,  to  transact  a  larger  amount  of  business  than  any  similar 
house  in  North  Carolina,  and  has  established  a  national  reputation  among 
the  leaf- tobacco  markets  of  the  country  for  the  uniformity  of  its  classification 
and  the  honesty  of  its  prizing  and  other  essentials  to  good  repute. 

Farmer's  Warehouse 
was  originally  "  Parrish's  Warehouse."  In  1876  it  was  taken  charge  ot 
by  Walker,  Lyon  &  Co.  In  1879  a  change  was  made  and  the  firm  is  now 
known  as  Walker  &  Burton.  The  warehouse  is  of  wood,  40x150.  Receipts 
are  from  the  adjoining  counties,  together  with  large  quantities  of  shipped 
tobacco.     Receipts  include  all  varieties. 

Wilkerson  Bros.  Warehouse 
was  opened  January,  1880,  by  J.  C.  and  J.  M.  Wilkerson.     The  building  is 
of  wood,   140x40,  with  good  skylight,  and  ample  yard  accommodations. 


51 
i 

Sales  are  had  daily,  C.  W.  A.  Barham  auctioneer.  The  supplies  have  been 
mostly  from  Orange,  Caswell,  Person,  and  Granville  counties  in  North 
Carolina. 

In  regard  to  the  crop  ot  1880,  the  senior  member  of  this  firm,  a  very 
experienced  tobacconist  in  all  branches  of  the  avocation,  reports  that  in 
quantity  the  crop  is  an  average  one,  but  in  quality  inferior,  owing  to  wet 
weather  in  August.  The  cure  of  fine  bright  was  made  with  difficulty.  The 
crop  was  cut  about  the  usual  time.  Bright  and  smokers  predominate, 
including  nice  bright  wrappers,  nice  bright  cutters,  bright  fillers  and  bright 
smokers.  There  is  little  sun-cured  and  little  dark,  the  aim  of  planters  being 
brights  exclusively. 

Recently,  this  house  has  withdrawn  from  the  handling  of  farmer's  tobacco, 
devoting  itself  exclusively  to  the  sales  of  package  tobacco. 

The  Banner  Warehouse 

was  opened  April  9th,  1879,  by  Lea,  Corbett  &  Co.  In  1880  the  firm  name 
of  the  house  was  changed  to  Lea  Bros.,  Mr.  Corbett  going  out,  and  Messrs. 
W.  A.  and  J.  T.  Lea  succeeding  to  the  business.  The  warehouse  is  of 
\vood,  40x175,  with  extensive  lots  for  teams  and  wagons.  Their  sales  take 
place  daily.  J.  Q.  A.  Barham  is  auctioneer.  The  supplies  are  from  Ala- 
mance, Orange,  Caswell,  Person,  and  Granville.  The  character  of  the 
tobacco  includes  all  grades  of  bright  wrappers  and  smokers,  with  a  pro- 
portionate supply  of  fillers. 

The  Planter's  Warehouse 

was  opened  by  Stokes  &  Thomas  in  1874,  who  continued  business  for  a 
year,  and  then  sold  their  interest  to  W.  A.  Wahab  &  Co.  They  continued 
in  business  for,  three  or  four  years,  and  in  the  fall  of  1878  sold  to  Cooper, 
Blackwell  &  Co.,  who  in  turn  were  succeeded  in  February,  1880,  by  Cooper 
&  Lunsford. 

The  warehouse  is  of  wood,  174x50,  with  a  commodious  basement  50x150, 
with  ample  shed-rooms  and  fine  lots  for  wagons  and  teams. 

The  proprietors  are  L.  E.  Cooper  of  Granville  County,  and  Jos.  G. 
Lunsford  of  Person  County.  C.  E.  Crab  tree  is  principal  clerk,  W.  H 
Osborne  of  Granville  auctioneer,  and  John  W.  Pope  of  Orange  floor 
manager. 

The  sales  for  the  past  year  were  large  and  show  progressive  increase, 
and  embrace  supplies  from  all  adjacent  counties,  from  Virginia,  and  from 
the  new  producing  counties  of  western  North  Carolina. 

The  total  sales  of  the  warehouses  in  Durham  during  the  season  of  1880 
are  estimated  at  twelve  million  pounds,  a  large  majority  of  which  was 
farmer's  tobacco  sold  from  the  wagons.  A  larger  quantity  of  package 
tobacco  than  usual  was  received  from  other  markets.  The  characteristic 
excellence  of  the  higher  grades  of  smoking  tobacco  has  been  maintained  by 


52 

the  purchase  of  the  tobaccos  of  the  adjacent  counties,  which  possess  peculiar 
qualities,  as  shown  by  analysis  elsewhere  quoted. 

The  quantity  manufactured  was  about  four  and  a  half  millions,  producing 
a  revenue  for  the  year  ending  September  ist,  1880,  of  $726,641.90. 

FACTORIES. 

W.  T.  Blackwell  &  Co. 

This  house  has  no  merely  local  name.  It  is  known  the  wide  world  over,, 
as  familiar  and  as  welcomed  in  the  antipodes  as  in  the  little  town  to  which 
it  gave  impetus  and  fame.  For  the  fortunes  of  Durham  and  Blackwell  & 
Co.  are  one  and  inseparable ;  as  one  has  expanded  in  business,  so  has  the 
other  enlarged  and  flourished.  And  while  other  and  prospering  houses 
have  achieved  fortune  and  reputation  in  the  same  pursuit,  it  is  no  disparage- 
ment to  them  to  assign  to  Blackwell  &  Co.  the  undisputed  pre-eminence  in. 
magnitude  of  operations  and  widespread  diversity  of  market  and  demand.. 
And  this  house  has  so  grown  up  to  its  dimensions  that  each  successive  step 
of  progress  may  be  traced  by  the  contemporaneous  eye.  Within  a  few 
steps  of  the  present  large  factory  is  to  be  seen  the  little  wooden  building, 
with  somewhat  pretentious  front,  which,  within  the  past  decade,  sufficed  the 
wants  of  the  proprietors ;  that,  in  turn,  giving  way  to  the  large  brick  edifice,, 
five  years  ago  thought  the  creation  of  a  vain  ambition ;  it  in  turn  subjected 
to  the  large  additions  which  dwarfed  all  previous  effort,  possibly  not  yet 
filling  the  measure  which  continual  growth  of  business  may  exact. 

Reference  has  been  made  elsewhere  to  the  origin  of  the  demand  for 
Durham  smoking  tobacco,  of  which  Mr.  J.  R.  Green  sagaciously  took 
advantage,  increasing  his  facilities  for  manufacturing,  and  adopting  a  dis- 
tinguishing brand  and  device,  making  the  "  Durham  Bull "  thenceforth 
immortal. 

It  was  in  1868  that  W.  T.  Blackwell  and  J.  R.  Day,  then  tobacco  jobbers, 
bought  a  half  interest  in  the  business  of II.  R.  Green;  and  this  partnership 
was  continued  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Green,  which  took  place  the  next  year, 
when  the  other  partners  purchased  his  interest  from  the  heirs.  In  1870, 
/'  Mr.  Julian  S.  Carr,  of  Chapel  Hill,  N.  C,  bought  a  third  interest  in  the 
business.  In  1878  Mr.\J>.  R.  Day  sold  his  share  to  the  other  partners,  and 
the  present  firm  name  was  assumed. 

To  the  long  and  vexatious,  but  finally  triumphant  litigation  by  which  the 
right  to  the  undisputed  use  of  the  "  Durham  Bull "  brand  was  established, 
reference  can  only  be  made.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  settlement  of 
controversy  removed  the  barriers  to  that  expansion  of  operations  forced  by 
the  spread  of  well-earned  reputation. 

About  five  years  ago  the  nucleus  of  the  present  large  structure  was 
erected.     It  was  a  brick  building,  four  stories  high,  and  one  hundred  feet 


53 

square,  of  fair  architectural  claims,  and  a  striking  object,  with  its  many 
windows  adorned  with  cream-colored  mouldings,  contrasting  well  with  the 
red  brick  of  the  walls  ;  with  its  rich,  deep  cornice,  and  with  the  large  panel 
over  the  central  entrance,  on  which  was  emblazoned  in  colossal  proportions 
the  typical  idea  of  the  business — the  great  Durham  Bull,  rampant  and 
triumphant. 

Last  year,  enlargements  became  imperative  ;  and  additions  were  made 
which  now  give  a  building  with  a  north  frontage  of  two  hundred  feet,  with 
a  height  of  four  stories  ;  with  two  wings  of  the  same  height  extending  back 
one  hundred  and  sixty  feet.  Mr.  Blackwell  himself  supervised  the  whole 
work  of  enlargement.  He  designed  all  the  interior  arrangements/ rigidly 
inspected  every  piece  of  timber  that  went  into  the  structure,  and  scrutinized 
almost  every  brick  that  was  laid ;  and  this  intelligent  and  watchful  super- 
vision pervades  every  operation  of  the  firm. 

The  interior  is  systematically  apportioned  to  the  many  and  varied  opera- 
tions. On  the  first  floor  are  the  elegantly  furnished  offices  for  the  clerical 
force,  and  also  for  the  heads  of  the  house.     On  the  same  floor  is  the 

Shipping  Room, 
to  which  are  brought  the  packages  after  they  have  been  filled  and  stamped, 
to  be  marked  for  their  destination,  whether  it  be  to  New  York  or  Galveston, 
to  Boston  or  San  Francisco,  to  Quebec  or  Rio  de  Janeiro,  to  Liverpool  or 
Berlin,  to  Melbourne  or  Hokodadi — for  it  goes  to  all  these  places  and  many 
besides;  and  more  than  six  hundred  boxes,  representing  17,000  pounds, 
are  daily  borne  from  this  room  to  the  railroad  depot  near  by,  by  files  of 
negro  porters,  in  merry  and  picturesque  despatch.  These  packages  are 
partly  of  wood,  partly  of  paper  encased  in  canvas ;  and  there  is  also  a  full 
.supply  of  handsome  tin  cases  to  be  used  for  special  purposes. 

The  Stamping  Room 
is  immediately  above  the  shipping  room,  and  is  90x120  feet.  Here  ninety 
persons  are  busily  at  work  stamping  and  casing  the  little  packages  which 
are  brought  in  from  the  packing  room.  The  celerity  and  dexterity  in 
handling  and  affixing  the  stamps,  a  work  done  principally  by  small  negro 
boys,  is  somewhat  marvellous.  There  are  ten  stamping  tables,  the  stamps 
running  from  eighths  to  pounds.  The  cancelling  room,  the  room  also  from 
which  stamps  are  delivered,  is  separate  from  but  connected  with  the  stamp- 
ing room.  The  monthly  average  of  stamps  used  by  this  firm  is  in  value 
about  $45,000. 

The  Packing  Room, 

above  the  stamping  room,  is  of  the  same  size.  Here  about  seventy  hands 
are  employed,  filling  the  sacks  by  means  of  presses  worked  by  steam,  which 
is  the  motive-power  for  all  the  operations  of  the  factory,  the  engine  being  in 
a  remote  part  of  the  building,  power  being  communicated  by  shafts  and 


54 

belts.  Each  of  these  presses  is  attended  by  five  persons,  who  weigh,  feedr 
fill,  tie  and  case  with  remarkable  rapidity  and  accuracy.  There  are  now 
thirteen  of  these  presses  in  use.  The  bags  are  no  small  item  of  expense. 
They  are  made  by  contract  with  parties  in  Durham,  who  in  the  aggregate 
furnish  a  daily  supply  of  from  70,000  to  80,000,  representing  a  monthly  con- 
sumption of  cotton  cloth  amounting  to  92,000  yards. 

Connected  with  this  room  is  the  Flavoring  Department,  where  an  important, 
part  of  the  series  of  processes  by  which  the  tobacco  of  Blackwell  &  Co.  has 
acquired  its  character  is  performed.  Eighty  gallons  of  rum  are  daily  used 
in  flavoring,  and  ten  thousand  pounds  of  tonqua  beans  are  required ;  sup- 
plemented by  the  "  deer  tongue,"  a  native  of  the  county  of  New  Hanover,. 
N.  C,  with  a  very  delicate  vanilla-like  aroma. 

The  Manufacture 
in  all  its  processes  is  too  familiar  to  be  detailed  in  full.  It  is  sufficient  to' 
say  that  the  raw  leaf,  which  is  selected  and  graded  with  the  utmost  care,  is 
stored  in  the  drying-room  in  the  fourth  story,  where  it  is  spread  on  lattice 
shelves,  and  heated  to  dryness  by  steam  pipes.  This  makes  the  tobacco 
very  friable.  When  wanted,  the  dried  leaf  is  passed  by  the  shute  to  the 
ground  floor,  to  a  room  in  which  six  or  eight  cutting  machines,  similar  in 
construction  to  wheat-threshers,  reduce  it  to  fragments.  From  the  cutting- 
machines,  the  tobacco,  leaf,  dust,  stems  and  all,  goes  to  the  basement  below,, 
and  is  then  carried  by  "  elevators  "  to  the  third  story,  where  it  falls  upon 
sieves  by  which  the  stems  are  removed.  The  residuum,  granulated  tobacco, 
pieces  of  leaf  and  dust,  is  then  passed  by  automatic  machinery  to  the  floor 
below  and  "  bolted,"  and  the  granulated  tobacco  comes  out  pure  and  clean, 
ready  for  the  final  operation  of  flavoring.  The  dust  is  bagged  and  shipped 
to  the  North  as  a  component  of  fertilizers. 

,  The  granulated  tobacco  is  stored  in  the  upper  floors,  where  it  lies  in 
huge  embankments  awaiting  transfer. 

Under  the  roof,  throughout  the  building,  are  a  series  of  iron  tanks,  each 
holding  one  thousand  gallons  of  water,  filled  by  steam  power  operating 
through  a  length  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  pipe,  elevating  the  water 
to  a  height  of  seventy-five  feet.  Connected  with  each  tank  is  a  hose  pipe, 
conveniently  coiled  upon  the  upright  supports  of  the  roof,  with  all  the 
appliances  for  immediate  use  close  at  hand,  so  that  on  an  alarm  of  fire  the 
whole  could  be  instantly  flooded.  Barrels  filled  with  water  also  stand  ready 
in  every  room. 

The  western  extension  of  the  building  is  used  for  several  purposes.  One 
large  room  is  used  for  the  storage  of  empty  boxes.  Another  is  now  used 
for  the  manufacture  of 

Cigarettes, 

a  newly  introduced  branch  of  this  business.  The  room  devoted  to  this  is 
110x45  feet,  and  82  hands  are  now  employed.    Work  was  begun  in  August,, 


55 

1880,  and  the  first  shipment  was  made  on  the  first  of  September;  and  the 
demand  at  once  exceeded  the  supply.  The  stock  used  is  very  superior, 
and  the  cigarettes  are  put  up  in  very  tasteful  packages. 

"  Long  Cut " 
is  also  a  new  industry  of  this  factory,  and  the  quality  of  the  article  made  is 
excellent.     It  is  made  of  the  best  bright  cutters,  and  like  all  the  stock  used  in 
the  factory,  is  bought  on  the  Durham  market. 

Blackwell  &  Co.'s  establishment  is  complete  in  itself.  It  has  its  work- 
shops of  wood  and  iron  where  machinery  is  made  or  repaired  ;  it  has  its  saw 
mill  and  planing  machines  where  all  its  immense  supply  of  boxes  is  made, 
using  for  them  75,000  feet  per  month  ;  it  has  its  paper  box  factory  to  supply 
its  fancy  work  ;  it  has  its  printing  office  to  print  its  myriads  of  labels,  posters, 
circulars,  etc. ;  and  it  has  its  army  of  employees,  numbering  upwards  of  six 
hundred  within  the  building  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  without,  together 
with  a  stable  of  forty  or  fifty  horses  constantly  in  active  use.  In  extent,  in 
completeness,  in  exact  system,  and  in  widespread  business,  few  houses  on 
the  American  continent  compare  with  it.  Besides  shipments  to  every  State 
and  Territory  of  the  American  Union,  the  firm  has  constant  transactions  with 
England,  Norway,  Belgium,  South  America,  Canada,  Africa,  China,  Aus- 
tralia, and  to  all  countries  where  importation  of  tobacco  is  not  prohibited; 
and  in  all  these  countries  they  have  regularly  established  agencies. 

E.  H.  Pogue, 
a  manufacturer  of  plug  tobacco  at  Hillsboro  since  1873,  transferred  his 
business  to  Durham  in  April  1879,  occupying  a  new  building  of  wood, 
40x100,  with  a  deep  brick  basement,  making  a  house  of,  practically,  four 
stories  high.  At  the  beginning  of  his  work  in  Durham,  Mr.  Pogue  manu- 
factured "  plug"  extensively,  but  has  recently  abandoned  it,  and  in  a  mea- 
sure substituted  for  it  his  "  cut  plug  chewing  tobacco,"  which  is  rapidly 
coming  into  use  and  favor.  He  also  makes  "  twist  "  of  superior  excellence. 
But  his  specialties  are  his  granulated  "  Sitting  Bull  "  smoking  tobacco,  which 
has  a  wide  sale  and  reputation,  and  his  "  Original  and  Genuine  Durham 
Long  Cut,"  branded  according  to  grade  No'.  1  and  2  ;  this  is  made  out  of 
the  choicest  stock  and  commands  large  sales,  the  principal  demand  being 
from  St.  Louis  and  Chicago,  which  are  also  made  distributing  points  for 
contiguous  territory.  A  large  trade  for  this  variety  has  also  been  estab- 
lished in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore. 

The  granulated  "Sitting  Bull"  is  known  all  over  the  United  States,  and 
upholds  the  reputation  of  Durham  as  a  manufacturing  point  for  smoking 
tobacco.  The  stock  for  this  factory  is  all  bought  on  the  Durham  market, 
and  is  exclusively  the  product  of  Orange  and  adjacent  counties.  The 
marked  characteristics  of  the  tobacco  of  this  immediate  section  are  exem- 
plified in  all  the  manufactures  of  Durham,  and  to  a  very  large  extent  in 


56 

those  of  other  points,  in  Virginia  especially,  whose  choicest  supplies  are 
drawn  from  this  favored  region. 

The  products  of  the  year  ending  with  May,  1880,  were  two  hundred 
thousand  pounds,  since  which  time  there  has  been  a  large  increase  of  trade, 
especially  in  the  "  Long  Cut,"  which  has  at  once  become  a  much-desired 
article  of  consumption  ;  but  in  all  branches  of  his  business  Mr.  Pogue 
exhibits  a  large  and  steady  increase. 

Very  recently  the  manufacture  of  cigarettes  has  been  introduced  into  this 
factory,  claimed  to  be  essentially  different  from  and  superior  to  anything 
now  made. 

W.  Duke,  Sons  &  Co. 

have  grown  from  very  modest  beginnings  to  be  among  the  largest  and 
most  successful  manufacturers  of  Durham.  The  humble  peddler  of  manu- 
factured tobacco,  ruined  by  the  war,  and  compelled  for  subsistence  to  travel 
through  the  country  selling  from  his  wagon  the  small  stock  drawn  by  a 
pair  of  mules,  all  the  ravages  of  war  had  left  him,  now  presides  over  next 
to  the  largest  business  in  the  place. 

Mr.  W.  Duke  began  the  manufacture  of  smoking  tobacco  in  the  vicinity 
of  Durham  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1865,  removing  to  Durham  during  1872 
or  1873.  Prospering  by  his  transfer  of  locality,  his  business  has  expanded, 
requiring  increase  of  room  and  facilities  for  manufacture.  He,  or  rather 
the  firm  of  W.  Duke,  Sons  &  Co.,  for  he  has  associated  with  him  three 
enterprising  and  experienced  members  of  his  family,  now  occupy  a  building 
of  wood,  three  stories  high,  seventy  feet  long,  with  a  frontage  of  eighty  feet, 
with  which  is  connected  a  house  containing  a  steam  engine  which  furnishes 
the  power  for  grinding  and  cleaning  the  tobacco  for  market.  The  product 
is  "  granulated,"  the  most  widely  known  brand  made  being  "  The  Duke  of 
Durham."  "  Pro  Bono  Publico"  is  another  fine  brand,  but  "  High  Grab," 
unsurpassed  in  quality  and  selling  readily  at  $1.00  per  pound,  is  also  largely 
made.  The  trade  of  this  house  extends  throughout  the  United  States,  un- 
confined  by  section.  Some  shipments  are  made  to  London,  and  some  to 
Cape  Town,  in  Africa. 

The  stock  is  bought  altogether  on  the  Durham  market.     The  annual 
product  of  the  house  is  about  seven  hundred   thousand   pounds,  but   is 
so  steadily  and  largely  increasing  that  it  promises  far  to  exceed  that  point. 
• 

Lucius  Green 

began  business  in  1877,  occupying  a  building  of  wood  two  and  a  half  stories 
high  and  70x30  in  extent.  Granulated  tobacco  of  superior  quality  is  the 
sole  manufacture  of  this  house.  The  standard  brand  is  their  "  Indian  Girl," 
but  a  more  common  brand,  "  O  K,"  is  also  made,  of  both  of  which  about 
fifty  thousand  pounds  are  annually  mad,e,  with  increasing  business.  The 
markets  on  which  these  brands  are  principally  sold  are  New  York,  San 
Francisco,  and  Chicago,  with  growing  reputation  and  increasing  demand. 


57 

Isaac  N.  Link 

succeeded  W.  R.  Hughes  &  Co.  in  1876  as  a  manufacturer  of  smoking 
tobacco,  and  has  worked  continuously  under  the  above  name  since  engaging 
in  the  business.  He  manufactures  exclusively  granulated  tobacco,  his  sole 
brand  being  the  "  Dime  Durham,"  of  which  his  factory  has  a  capacity  of 
one  thousand  pounds  a  day,  of  a  most  superior  fabric.  This  factory  stands 
third  in  productiveness,  as  claimed  by  the  proprietor,  on  the  list  of  Durham 
factories.  The  work  is  continued  through  the  year  to  meet  a  demand 
which  is  well  sustained  by  the  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Cincinnati,  and 
Chicago  markets.  f 

Z.J.  Lyon  &  Co. 

The  firm  comprising  Z.  T.  and  J.  Ed.  Lyon  began  the  manufacture  of 
tobacco  in  1874,  in  a  building  of  wood,  two  and  a  half  stories  high,  and 
32x70  feet.  They  use  steam  power,  and  employ  sixteen  hands  on  an 
average,  making  granulated  exclusively,  the  annual  product  of  which  is 
about  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  thousand  pounds.  Their  only  brand 
is  the  "  Pride  of  Durham,"  which  finds  markets  in  the  Northern  and  New 
England  States,  with  also  some  Southern  and  Western  trade.  In  connection 
with  this  establishment  is  a  box  factory  which  supplies  the  trade  of  the  place 
generally. 

R.  T.  Faucett 

began  business  in  187 1,  but  was  burned  out  in  1877,  and  rebuilt  in  another 
location  the  succeeding  year.  He  now  occupies  a  building  of  wood,  two 
and  a  half  stories  high,  and  80x40  feet  in  dimension.  His  product  is 
granulated  smoking  tobacco,  his  brands  being  "  Favorite  Durham "  and 
"  Ten  Cent  Durham,"  with  a  trade  extending  all  over  the  United  States. 
The  yearly  product  of  the  factory  is  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  thou- 
sand pounds.     Steam  is  used  for  grinding,  cleaning,  etc. 

R.  F.  Morris  &  Son 

were  the  real  pioneers  of  tobacco  manufacture  in  Durham,  while  J.  R. 
Green  was  the  originator  of  the  brand  that  first  gave  it  celebrity.  R.  F. 
Morris  &  Son  began  their  manufacture  in  1865,  continuing  it  until  the  death 
of  the  senior  partner,  when  a  transfer  was  made,  and  the  business  is  now 
conducted  by  W.  H.  Willard  as  president  and  S.  F.  Tomlinson  as  super- 
intendent. The  principal  brand  of  this  house  is  the  "  Bear,"  a  granulated 
smoking  tobacco  of  good  repute  which  has  an  extensive  general  demand. 
This  house  is  also  a  large  manufacturer  of  Scotch  snuff,  the  only  one  of 
the  kind  in  the  State,  and  sustain  their  claim  to  make  an  article  prepared 
with  great  care  and  skill,  and  free  from  adulterations  prejudicial  to  health, 
and  is  made  from  pure  clean  stock,  selected  with  careful  reference  to  a  good 
quality  of  snuff.  A  higher  grade,  Maccaboy,  is  also  made,  and  both  of 
them  are  in  large  demand. 


58 

ROULHAC    &    CO. 

are  manufacturers  of  the  "  Tiger  "  brand  of  granulated  smoking  tobacco. 
W.  S.  Roulhac  began  the  business  in  Hillsboro  in  1871,  under  the  firm  of 
Webb  &  Roulhac,  but  removed  to  Durham  in  1873,  with  the  same  firm 
name,  which  was  changed  in  1876  to  its  present  title.  The  house  does  a 
good  business,  principally  with  the  North  and  Northwest,  and  its  product  is 
held  in  high  repute. 

J.  R.  Day  &  Bro. 

established  their  business  in  Nov.  1878,  the  firm  having  been  composed  of 
J.  R.  and  W.  P.  Day.  The  former  was  one  of  the  copartners  of  W.  T. 
Blackwell  &  Co.,  and  acquired  large  experience  as  a  manufacturer,  which 
at  once  gave  the  new  association  an  impetus  so  great  as  to  rival  in  amount 
of  sales  during  the  first  year  of  their  business  the  operations  of  any  other 
house  in  Durham. 

In  January,  1880,  the  business  was  sold  to  H.  K.  and  F.  B.  Thurber,  of 
New  York,  who  propose  largely  to  increase  the  work  of  the  house.  The 
business  is  still  carried  on  under  the  original  name  of  the  firm.  Granulated 
tobacco  is  exclusively  made,  and  the  house  has  but  one  brand,  that  of 
"  Standard  of  the  World."  > 

The  business  occupies  their  building  of  wood,  two  and  a  half  stories  high. 
Steam  power  is  used  for  granulating  and  cleansing  the  tobacco. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HILLSBORO. 

THIS  point  in  Orange  County,  N.  C,  has  been  the  seat  of  very  consider- 
able manufacturing-  industry  for  more  than  twenty  years.  Situated 
very  conveniently  to  the  tobacco -producing  regions  of  Orange,  Person,  Cas- 
well, and  Alamance  counties,  it  occupied  a  position  sufficiently  commanding 
to  have  become  a  controlling  power.  There  has  been  no  development  of 
enterprise  commensurate  with  the  advantages  of  situation.  Yet  the  manufac- 
tures of  Hillsboro  have  always  been  held  in  high  repute ;  and  it  is  believed 
now  that  the  success  of  some  already  at  work  will  have  a  beneficial  effect 
upon  others,  who,  until  now,  have  held  back  through  timidity  or  indolence. 
Here  the  warehouse  business,  as  in  some  other  places,  was  not  the  creator 
of  manufactures.  It  followed  after  the  necessities  for  a  supply  at  home 
became  clamorous  for  satisfaction.  Almost  at  once,  in  1869-70,  three 
warehouses  came  into  existence.     Two  soon  perished ;  but 

Webb's  Warehouse, 

built  in  1870,  still  survives,  and  with  now  good  hope  of  permanent  exist- 
ence. It  is  a  wooden  building  125x40,  and  was  originally  conducted  by  J. 
C.  Webb.  He  was  succeeded  by  J.  R.  Gattis ;  he  by  E.  H.  Pogue ;  and  Mr.  C. 
B.  Taylor  is  now  proprietor.  He  opened  the  house  on  the  nth  of  March, 
1880,  and  his  sales  to  the  1st  of  October  reached  250,000  pounds.  In  1878, 
at  which  time  E.  H.  Pogue  was  in  charge,  the  sales  reached  500,000  pounds. 
In  1879  the  house  was  closed. 

FACTORIES. 

J.  Y.  Whitted  began  work  in  1859  under  the  firm  name  of  Webb  & 
Whitted,  and  was  at  the  head  of  a  large  and  growing  business  at  the 
opening  of  the  war,  when  the  house  ceased  operations.  Business  was 
resumed  in  1867  by  J.  Y.  Whitted  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  Y.  Whitted 
&  Co.,  which  firm  has  worked  continuously  ever  since.  Mr.  Whitted 
occupies  a  building  of  wood,  110x40,  two  stories  high,  furnished  with  the 
most  approved  machinery.  The  product  is  plug  and  twist ;  and  recently 
a  fine  brand  of  smoking  tobacco,  "  Harry  Lee,"  which  is  becoming  widely 
and  popularly  known.  The  choicest  brands  of  plug  are  "  Gold  Ambrosia," 
which  has  taken  the  first  premiums  and  medals  at  four  of  the  North  Caro- 
lina State  Fairs,  the  first  premium  at  the  Alabama  State  Fair,  and  the 
same  at  the  Atlanta,  Savannah  and  Wilmington  Agricultural  Fairs.  It 
was   exhibited  at  Vienna,  but  arrived  after  the  awards  had  been  made. 


60 

Next  in  order  is  "  Harry  Lee,"  "  North  State,"  "  Walter  Raleigh  "  and 
<(J.  Y.  Whitted's  Sun  Cured."  The  markets  for  these  brands  are  in  North 
and  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Alabama,  Texas,  Florida  and  Louisiana,  also 
Tennessee  and  Virginia.  The  annual  product  is  now  one  hundred  thousand 
pounds,  with  increasing  business. 

Webb  &  Co. 

is  the  firm  name  conducting  the  factory  known  as  Webb's,  the  firm  being 
composed  of  James  Webb,  Jr.,  J.  C.  Webb  and  Geo.  C.  Corbin.  They 
began  work  in  1878  in  a  wooden  building,  but  in  1880  erected  a  brick 
edifice,  four  stories  high  and  40x60,  using  this  in  connection  with  the  old 
premises.  The  product  is  twist  and  plug,  the  latter  largely  in  excess  of  the 
former.  Their  best  brands  are  "Superb,"  "Choice  Bright,"  "Choice  Red." 
Their  stocks  are  bought  on  all  markets.  The  product  this  year  is  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds,  with  a  large  prospective  increase. 
Their  markets  are  mostly  in  North  Carolina  and  the  Southern  States  gen- 
erally. Their  twist  is  sent  mostly  to  Cincinnati  and  Nashville.  The  brands 
are  "  Berkshire  "  and  "  Victory." 

H.  P.  Jones  &  Co. 

organized  their  business  in  1872.  They  occupy  a  wooden  building  two 
stories  high,  150x50.  Their  operations  are  conducted  by  steam  power. 
This  is  exclusively  "  a  smoking "  factory.  The  only  brands  made  are 
"Occonneechee"  and  "Tar  Heel,"  both  granulated,  and  a  superior  article 
of  "  long  cut,"  also  branded  "  Tar  Heel."  The  product  is  about  fifty  thou- 
sand pounds,  with  decided  indications  of  very  large  future  increase. 

These  tobaccos  are  very  popular  wherever  known,  and  are  growing 
steadily  in  favor.  At  present,  the  markets  are  New  York,  Georgia  and  the 
Western  States.  Occasional  shipments  are  made  to  Liverpool,  Berlin  and 
the  Coast  of  Africa.  A  large  trade  has  been  opened  with  Cincinnati  for 
•,'  Occonneechee,"  and  active  agencies  established  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
besides  important  business  with  Chicago.  All  the  stock  used  by  this  house 
is  bought  on  the  Hillsboro  market. 

Graham  &  Co. 
succeed  to  the  business  initiated  by  J.  W.  Corbin  in  1871,  who  worked 
until  1873,  when  the  factory  was  worked  under  the  name  of  Corbin  & 
Pogue  for  one  year,  and  then  again  for  one  year  by  J.  W.  Corbin.  He 
suspended  for  one  year,  and  operations  were  resumed  by  J.  M.  Corbin, 
who  was  succeeded  during  1880  by  the  present  firm.  This  occupies  a 
wooden  building  two  stories  high,  30x60.  The  product  is  plug  and  twist  of 
all  styles.  The  best  brands  are  "  No.  1,"  "  No.  2,"  "  No.  3  "  and  "No.  4," 
and  "J.  W.  Corbin,"  plug,  and  "  Little  Carrie,"  twist.  The  shipments  are 
principally  to  Nashville,  Memphis,  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  St.  Joseph,  and  to 


61 

Arkansas.  The  product  for  this  year,  1880,  is  about  one  hundred  thousand 
pounds,  and  increases  steadily,  next  year's  business  being  expected  to  be 
much  larger. 

REIDSVILLE, 

in  Rockingham  County,  is  situated  on  the  line  of  the  Richmond  and  Dan- 
ville Railroad,  equidistant  from  Greensboro  in  North  Carolina  and 
Danville  in  Virginia,  twenty-five  miles  from  each.  It  is,  like  Durham,  the 
creation  of  the  tobacco  interest.  Rockingham  County  had  long  been 
devoted  largely  to  the  cultivation  of  tobacco,  which  was  cultivated  mostly 
on  the  rich  and  heavy  lands  along  Dan  river  and  its  tributaries,  the  product 
being  either  the  dark  rich  mahogany  suitable  for  wrappers  and  fillers  or 
the  coarser  shipping  tobacco,  all  of  which  found  sale  in  the  markets  of 
Virginia.  But  the  newly  designated  station  was  also  convenient  to  the 
county  of  Caswell,  more  famous  than  Rockingham  because  of  the  finer 
quality  of  its  tobacco,  and  not  far  remote  from  the  counties  of  Person  and 
Alamance  in  North  Carolina,  and  from  some  of  the  best  producing 
counties  in  Virginia,  and  manufactories  and  warehouses  were  established 
and  rapidly  increased  in  number,  until  Reidsville  is  now  an  important  point 
both  of  receipt  and  manufacture.  Of  the  former,  the  warehouse  sales  for 
the  season  ending  October  1st,  1880,  reached  about  four  million  pounds, 
and  there  were  manufactured  for  the  same  period  about  two  million  pounds. 
There  are  three  warehouses  in  Reidsville. 

Redd's  Warehouse 

was  opened  on  the  19th  of  April,  1875,  by  J.  S.  Redd  and  J.  F.  Wooten. 
The  present  proprietors  are  J.  S.  Redd,  J.  F.  Wooten,  J.  Willie  Smith  and 
J.  A.  Roach.  The  building  is  of  wood  on  a  brick  basement,  and  is  50x125 
feet,  well  lighted,  conveniently  arranged,  with  extensive  adjoining  lots  for 
stabling,  etc.  The  sales  are  held  daily.  The  supplies  of  tobacco  are  drawn 
from  the  surrounding  counties  of  both  Virginia  and  North  Carolina.  There 
is  a  steady  annual  increase  in  the  business  of  this  house,  which  is  somewhat 
more  than  a  third  of  that  of  the  Reidsville  market. 

1 

The  Piedmont  Warehouse, 

the  proprietor  of  which  is  A.  J.  Ellington,  was  established  in  1871,  and  is  a 
brick  building  50x120,  of  excellent  arrangement  within  and  without.  The 
sales  are  daily ;  the  receipts,  like  those  of  Redd's,  are  from  the  surrounding 
counties.     A  large  amount  of  shipped  tobacco  is  also  sold  here. 

There  is  also  another  warehouse,  the  Eagle,  from  which  no  information 
was  obtained. 

There  are  a  number  of  factories  in  operation,  and  several  at  present 
closed.     Among  the  former  is  the  smoking  factory  of 


62 

Denny,  Smith  &  Co., 

who  began  business  in  1880,  working  during  that  year  on  a  scale  somewhat 
smaller  than  will  mark  their  operations  hereafter.  They  manufacture  a 
granulated  smoking  tobacco,  their  only  brand  being  the  "  Monogram," 
which  has  gained  high  favor  in  the  markets  into  which  it  has  been  introduced. 
It  is  sold  principally  in  the  South  and  also  in  St.  Louis.  The  business  of 
this  house  shows  such  steady  and  healthy  increase  as  to  justify  the  purpose 
largely  to  increase  the  size  of  the  buildings  during  the  coming  winter. 

Harriss,  Sampson  &  Co. 

began  business  under  the  above  style  in  1879,  occupying  two  buildings  in 
different  parts  of  the  town,  the  one  of  wood  and  brick,  three  stories  high, 
40x90  feet,  and  supplied  with  the  most  perfect  machinery.  In  this  an 
average  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  hands  are  employed,  who  made 
during  the  past  season  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds  of  plug 
and  twist.  The  other  building  is  fifty  feet  square,  three  stories  high,  and 
employs  from  eighty  to  ninety  hands,  who  will  make  during  the  season 
ending  with  November  1st,  1880,  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand 
pounds  twist.  The  supplies  of  material  are  obtained  on  the  Reidsville 
market. 

R.  A.  Ellington  &  Sons 

were  engaged  in  manufacturing  in  Wentworth,  in  Rockingham  County, 
North  Carolina,  for  several  years,  and  transferred  their  business  to  Reidsville 
in  1880,  occupying  a  wooden  building  with  stone  basement,  40x80  feet,  and 
three  stories  high.  About  sixty  hands  are  employed,  who  make  annually 
one  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  plug  and  twist,  which  is  shipped  largely 
to  Eastern  Carolina  and  to  Georgia  and  Alabama.  The  proprietors  say 
their  business  increases  steadily. 

Motley,  Wright  &  Co. 

began  business  in  1879.  They  occupy  a  brick  building  four  stories  high 
and  133x44  feet.  Their  machinery  is  of  the  most  approved  construction 
and  their  hydraulic  presses  are  acted  on  by  steam  power.  They  employ 
about  two  hundred  hands  and  produce  five  hundred  thousand  pounds  of 
plug  and  twist.  Next  year  they  propose  to  manufacture  eight  hundred 
thousand  pounds.  Their  trade  is  with  Georgia,  Alabama,  Mississippi, 
Louisiana  and  Texas. 

v  D.  Barnes  &  Co. 

entered  into  their  present  business  in  1872-3  as  Barnes  &  Crofts.  The 
present  firm  is  composed  of  D.  Barnes,  John  D.  Staples  and  P.  H. 
Williamson,  organized  in  1879.  They  occupy  a  building  of  wood,  two 
and  a  half  stories  high,  80x40.  They  use  the  most  perfect  machinery  and 
produce  plug  exclusively,  of  which  they  make  during  the  current  year  one 


63 

hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds,  finding  ready  markets  in  Georgia, 
Alabama  and  Mississippi  principally. 

F.  R.  Penn  &  Co. 

The  firm,  being  composed  of  F.  R.  &  S.  C.  Penn,  engaged  in  their 
present  business  in  1874,  occupying  now  a  building  partly  of  wood,  partly 
of  brick,  four  stories  high  and  40x126  feet.  They  employ  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  hands,  who  will  produce  during  the  present  working 
season  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  pounds  of  plug  and  twist, 
which  is  sold  mostly  in  the  Southern  States.  Their  business  steadily 
develops,  their  first  year's  product  being  seventy-five  thousand  pounds. 
They  doubled  the  capacity  of  their  building  last  winter,  and  propose  during 
the  coming  winter  to  apply  steam  in  their  operations. 

Watt  &  Hightower 

organized  as  a  firm  in  May,  1880,  manufacturing  plug  and  twist  to  the 
extent  of  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  pounds  yearly. 
They  work  principally  for  jobbers  for  Atlanta,  Montgomery,  Savannah, 
Macon  and  Mobile,  making  both  twist  and  plug.  They  report  their 
business  increasing  beyond  expectation,  with  bright  future  prospects. 

Several  other  houses  in  Reidsville,  now  closed,  will  resume  work  in  the 
working  season  of  188 1. 

In  the  county  of  Rockingham,  in  which  Reidsville  is  situated,  there  are 
other  factories  at  Leaksville,  Madison  and  Wentworth,  some  of  which  are 
closed  during  this  year.  The  whole  amount  of  revenue  collected  on 
tobacco  for  this  county  in  the  year  1879  was  $244,930.67. 


OXFORD. 

This  beautiful  town  is  in  the  centre  of  a  fine  agricultural  country,  where 
the  production  of  the  cereals,  of  cotton  and  of  tobacco,  is  combined  in 
equal  excellence  in  a  rare  contiguity.  Around  the  town  and  along  the 
roads  leading  to  it  may  be  found  farms  upon  which  all  these  staples  are 
embraced  in  one  glance  of  the  eye,  and  the  appearance  of  all  indicative  of 
soil  and  climate  happily  adapted  to  the  utmost  perfection  of  each  and  all 
of  them.  Tobacco  in  this  county  attains  its  very  highest  excellence.  The 
experienced  dealer  in  tobacco  can  tell  at  a  glance  or  detect  by  the  touch 
the  celebrated  Dutchville  leaf — a  bright  yellow  that  has  never  found  an 
equal.  Other  sections  of  the  county  are  scarcely  inferior,  and  the  quality 
of  the  land  and  the  nice  experience  of  the  planters  have  given,  for  a 
number  of  years,  a  distinguished  prominence  to  Granville. 

But  until  recently  she  has  found  her  markets  abroad.  Her  planters 
have  gone  to  Petersburg,  to  Richmond,  to  Danville,  and,  of  later  years,  to 


64 

Durham — these  two  latter  of  late  years  being  the  generally  preferred  points, 
though  Richmond  retains  a  firm  hold  upon  the  preferences  of  many. 

In  1878  Mr.  H.  G.  Cooper,  of  Oxford,  sagaciously  saw  the  opportunity  to 
found  a  business  which  would  retain  a  portion  of  the  trade  at  home,  and 
erected  a  warehouse,  which  speedily  proved  the  wisdom  of  the  movement. 
During  the  first  year  the  sales  reached  three  hundred  thousand  pounds. 

Messrs.  Kingsbury,  Minor  &  Lassiter  and  Mr.  E.  H.  Crew  opened 
warehouses  in  1880,  and  during  that  year  the  aggregate  sales  were  two 
million  pounds  of  farmer's  tobacco,  which  is  bought  on  order  or-  on 
speculation. 

There  is  a  small  manufacturing  industry  here — three  plug  factories  in 
operation. 

HENDERSON, 

situated  on  the  Raleigh  and  Gaston  Railroad,  in  the  county  of  Granville, 
within  a  few  years  has  acquired  prominence  as  a  tobacco  market.  In  the 
centre  of  a  fertile  agricultural  region,  it  had  grown  steadily,  from  its  founda- 
tion in  1838,  to  considerable  importance  as  the  market,  or  at  least  shipping 
point,  for  the  cotton  and  the  cereals  raised  in  the  adjacent  counties ;  and  in 
turn  the  distributing  centre  for  the  merchandise,  the  fertilizers  and  other 
supplies  needed  for  the  agricultural  classes  ;  and  was  also  the  shipping  and 
receiving  point  for  Oxford,  the  flourishing  county-seat  of  Granville.  Nearly 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1870,  it  had  been  rebuilt,  and  was  ready  for  the  impetus 
given  to  its  growth  by  the  addition  of  the  tobacco  business. 

In  addition  to  Granville,  the  adjacent  counties  of  Warren  and  Franklin 
soon  found  Henderson  their  most  convenient  market ;  and  the  enterprise  of 
warehousemen  and  manufacturers  was  evoked  to  supply  such  convenience. 
Warehouses  and  factories  both  now  meet  every  demand,  and  Henderson  is 
now  one  of  the  large  tobacco  markets  in  the  State. 

WAREHOUSES. 

There  are  three  of  these. 

The  proprietors  of  the  "  Cooper's  Warehouse  "  erected  their  building  in 

1873 — a  structure  of  wood,  150x150,  with  all  needed  conveniences.     This 

house  controls  a  very  large  business  and  claims  to  have  the  largest  wagon 

trade  in  the  State. 

Currin  &  Watkins, 

of"  Watkins  Warehouse,"  built  in  1877  their  warehouse,  of  wood,  40x182, 
and  they  also  do  a  large  business. 

J.  S.  Meadows, 

of  the  Meadows  Warehouse,  built  in  1873.  They  have  a  house  of  wood, 
40X 1 20. 


65 

All  of  these  houses  are  well  lighted  and  well  arranged  both  for  buyer  and 
seller. 

The  supplies  for  these  houses  come  from  the  counties  of  Granville, 
Warren  and  Franklin  in  North  Carolina  and  Mecklenburg  in  Virginia. 
The  supply  is  altogether  farmer's  tobacco.  There  is  little  or  no  shipped 
tobacco  on  the  market ;  and  this,  together  with  a  uniformly  high  grade, 
leads  to  the  claim  of  the  Henderson  market  that  the  averages  here 
are  higher  than  on  any  other  market. 

The  sales  of  the  year  ending  October  ist,  1879,  were  six  million  pounds. 
It  is  thought  that  the  sales  to  October  ist,  1880,  reached  ten  millions.  They 
are  stated  elsewhere  in  these  pages  at  seven  millions. 

FACTORIES. 

JOS.    E.    POGUE 

manufactures  plug  exclusively.  His  tobacco  has  gained  large  reputation. 
At  the  State  Fair  in  1879  he  took  the  first  premium  for  quality,  and  at  the 
Fair  of  1880  the  premium  for  the  best  and  largest  exhibit  of  manufactured 
tobacco.     Markets  mostly  in  North  Carolina. 

W.  E.  Gary  &  Co. 

make  both  plug  and  smoking,  with  a  trade  confined  principally  to  the 
Southern  States. 

Perry  &  Bros. 

began  the  manufacture  of  smoking  tobacco  in  1880,  their  brand  being 
"  Clear  the  Track." 

PRIZE  HOUSES. 

Of  these  there  are  several,  occupied  by  leaf  dealers  who  buy  and  ship  on 
their  own  account.  S.  &  C.  Watkins  occupy  a  building  of  wood,  40x98, 
with  five  floors;  C.  Hunter,  a  building  40x80;  J.  D.  Cooper,  one  30x100  ; 
J.  H.  Lassiter  one  30x60,  and  R.  M.  Powell  one  of  the  same  size. 

ROXBORO, 

in  Person  County,  is  the  centre  of  large  tobacco  culture.  The  planters 
have  always  stood  high  for  skill  in  culture.  From  absence  of  railroad  facil- 
ities, manufacture  became  almost  a  necessity,  and,  at  Roxboro,  Woods- 
dale,  Blue  Wing,  and  other  points  in  the  county,  before  the  war  many 
factories  existed.  Under  changed  conditions,  Roxboro  alone  continues  to 
manufacture.  A  warehouse  was  indispensable,  and  therefore  Messrs. 
Webb  &  Co.  opened  one  in  1875.  It  is  a  commodious  wooden  buiMing, 
40x80  feet,  with  skylight  and  every  accommodation  for  the  farmer.  The 
tobacco  sold  here  is  almost  all  of  home  production.  The  sales  for  the  year 
will  reach  three  hundred  thousand  pounds. 


66 

FACTORIES. 

J.  P.  Satterfield  began  the  enterprise  of  the  cigar  manufacture  in  1878. 
He  uses  Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut  leaf.  His  brands  have  achieved  a 
high  reputation:  "  Little  Mamie,"  "  Odd  Fellow,"  and  "  Pride  of  America." 
He  also  manufactures  the  "South  Down"  smoking  tobacco. 

Long's. 
W.  H.  Long  established  his  factory  in  1874,  for  plug  and  twist.     His 
building  is  of  wood,  30x124,  two  and  a  half  stories  high.     The  product  of 
the  factory  is  one  hundred  thousand   pounds  annually.     He  works  sixty 
hands,  using  hydraulic  machinery. 

W.  C.  Satterfield 
manufactures  plug   and   fancy  twist,  making  sixty  thousand  pounds  per 
annum.     His  building  is  of  wood,  40x70,  two  and  a  half  stories  high.     He 
works  forty-five  hands,  using  hydraulic  power. 

DANVILLE, 

in  Pittsylvania  County,  Virginia,  is  so  intimately  associated  with  the 
tobacco  interests  of  North  Carolina  that  it  must  unavoidably  be  named  in 
the  same  connection,  for  it  was  the  exclusive  market  for  many  years  for 
the  border  counties  of  the  latter  State,  affording  facilities  not  to  be  had  at " 
home,  and,  from  its  proximity  to  the  border,  the  large  influx  of  North  Caro- 
lina merchants,  manufacturers,  and  residents,  becoming  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  a  North  Carolina  town,  identical  in  habits,  interests,  and  pursuits. 
Its  growth  is  largely  due  to  the  tobacco  business,  which  is  now,  as  it  always 
has  been,  the  paramount  interest,  stimulated  and  developed  by  the  con- 
struction of  the  railroad  to  Richmond,  about  the  year  1847,  still  further 
stimulated  by  the  connection  with  the  North  Carolina  railroad  system 
during  the  existence  of  the  war,  awaiting  still  wider  development  by  the 
narrow-gauge  roads  now  under  construction  to  Henry  County,  and  antici- 
pating still  greater  advantages  from  the  building  of  the  Midland  Road  into 
regions  not  yet  penetrated  by  her  enterprise.  With  every  advantage  of 
water  power,  Danville  has  confined  the  use  of  its  capital  and  enterprise 
almost  exclusively  to  the  sale  and  manufacture  of  tobacco — potent  elements' 
of  prosperity,  however,  which  prove  their  influence  by  the  growth  of  a  town 
in  a  few  years  from  a  court-house  seat  of  small  population  to  a  city  of  ten 
thousand  inhabitants,  well  built,  well  paved,  lighted  with  gas,  supplied  with 
abundant  water,  and  having  eight  sales-warehouses  and  nearly  thirty 
tobacco  factories,  all  of  them  large  and  commodious  brick  buildings,  and 
producing  annually  about  fifteen  million  pounds  of  manufactured  tobacco. 
The  Warehouse  system  was  established  before  the  war  by  Mr.  Neal,  for 
the  convenience  both  of  the  manufacturer  and  the  farmer,  the  former  having 


67 

previously  to  go  into  the  country  and  purchase  his  stock  at  the  barns,  and 
the  latter,  if  he  brought  his  crop  to  market,  making  his  sales  in  the  streets, 
with  all  the  inconvenience  of  exposure  to  weather  and  unfavorable  presenta- 
tion of  the  qualities  of  his  products.  No  development,  however,  of  the 
warehouse  system  was  made  until  the  superior  advantages  of  bringing 
buyer  and  seller  face  to  face,  and  under  the  stimulus  of  competition,  was 
demonstrated,  hastened  also  by  some  of  the  requirements  of  the  newly- 
enacted  revenue  laws,  which  enforced  greater  exactness  in  the  transfer  of  an 
article  become  so  important  a  subject  of  taxation.  Sales  otherwise  are  now 
not  usually  made,  though  buyers  frequently  make  their  contracts  with  the 
farmers  at  the  barns,  a  mode  which  is  only  justified  by  the  sagacious  expe- 
rience of  the  purchaser  and  the  perfect  integrity  and  good  faith  of  the  seller. 

The  increase  in  the  sales  in  the  warehouses  has  been  steadily  progres- 
sive, as  is  shown  by  the  exhibits  of  a  few  years.  In  1873-4,  they  were 
about  12,000,000  pounds;  in  1874-5,  14,679,421,  of  the  average  value  of 
$20.45  per  hundred  pounds  :  in  1875-6,  23,466,413,  averaging  $13.32  ;  in 
1876-7,  16,426,296,  with  an  average  of  $12.38;  in  1877-8,  27,698,828;  in 
1878-9,  26,827,924;  and  in  1879-80,  33,151,310. 

To  handle  this  large  amount,  eight  warehouses  are  now  engaged,  and 
the  stability  of  the  business  is  evinced  by  the  elegant  and  substantial  build- 
ings devoted  to  the  purpose,  in  strong  contrast  to  the  structures  originally 
used,  one  or  two  of  which  still  survive  as  mementos  of  the  infancy  of  a 
now  fully  developed  institution. 

Graves'  Warehouse 

exists  as  one  of  the  oldest  in  construction  in  Danville.  Capt.  W.  P. 
Graves,  the  proprietor,  is  from  Caswell  County,  a  veteran  of  the  Mex- 
ican war,  and  began  the  sales  business  in  Neal's,  the  first  ware- 
house opened  in  Danville,  in  1858,  where  he  remained  until  he 
went  into  the  service  of  the  Southern  Confederacy  as  commander  of  the 
Danville  Blues  in  1861.  In  April,  1867,  he  built  the  original  building  of 
Holland's  warehouse,  which  he  occupied  one  year.  In  1868  he  erected  his 
present  warehouse,  where  he  has  ever  since  remained.  This  building  is 
175x80,  of  wood,  and  is  conveniently  arranged.  W.  P.  Graves  is  proprietor  ; 
George  E.  Coleman,  auctioneer ;  Joseph  H.  Blackwell,  floor  manager ;  F. 
L.  Walker,  clerk ;  Col.  O.  L.  Bailey  and  P.  H.  Tredway,  assistant  clerks. 
The  supplies,  as  with  all  other  warehouses  in  Danville,  are  from  the  adjacent 
counties  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  and  with  receipts  from  very  dis- 
tant points  in  those  States,  the  mountain  counties  in  both  of  late  making 
many  shipments  to  Danville.  Of  these  receipts,  brights  predominate. 
The  sales  in  this  house  fluctuate.  In  1872-73  they  were  2,986,449  pounds, 
with  an  average  of  $12.13  Per  cent. ;  in  1873-74  they  were  2,136,249,  aver- 
age $10;  in  1874-75,  4-II2»748»  average  $18.94;  m  I875-76,  4,084,811, 
average  $10.10;  in  1876-77,  2,601,426,  average  $10.60;  in  1877-78,  2,596,- 
235,  and  in  1879-80  about  3,000,000. 


68 

Holland's  Warehouse 

was  established  in  1867.  Originally  of  wood,  it  has  given  place  to  a  com- 
modious and  admirably  arranged  structure  of  brick  which  was  erected  in 
1878,  and  which  is  100x208,  with  ample  storage  rooms  in  the  basement. 
The  salesroom  is  well  lighted  with  solid  skylights.  The  proprietors  are 
S.  H.  Holland,  Daniel  Coleman  and  Peter  B.  Law,  who  constitute  the 
oldest  warehouse  firm  in  Danville.  The  officers  are  J.  W.  Guerrant,  of 
Rockingham  County,  N.  C,  floor  manager ;  Daniel  Coleman  and  J.  J.  Hill, 
auctioneers,  and  P.  B.  Law,  book-keeper.  The  annual  sales  are  over  five 
million  pounds.  The  sales  were  made  up,  for  the  past  year,  mostly  of 
brights,  peculiar  to  this  section,  and  a  small  proportion  of  fine  and  fancy 
wrappers,  or  what  are  called  first-class  fillers.  Between  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina  there  is  little  difference  in  supplies,  with  possibly  an  excess  in 
favor  of  the  former. 

The  Star  Warehouse 

was  established  in  1874  by  Pace  Bros.,  now  of  Lynchburg,  who  had  pre- 
viously occupied  a  large  but  roughly  constructed  wooden  building.  In 
that  year  they  erected  the  large  brick  building  now  occupied  by  Hutchings, 
Thomas  &  Co.,  the  first  of  those  substantial  and  conveniently  arranged 
warehouses  so  marked  a  feature  of  Danville.  This  building  is  150x160, 
with  an  area  of  twenty-four  thousand  square  feet  of  floor  surface,  with  a 
large  basement  for  the  storage  of  tobacco.  The  sales  of  this  house  are 
now  largely  in  excess  of  five  million  pounds  yearly,  as  by  following  table : 
Sold  by  Hutchings,  Thomas  &  Co.,  from  1st  October,  1872,  to 

Date.  Pounds.  Price.  Total. 


1st  Oct.,  1873 

2,122,873 

$11.36 

$241,266.13 

1874 

2,829,988 

15.62 

441,985.94 

1875 

2,329.199 

20.83 

485,225.47 

1876 

3,812,883 

14.24 

543,109.41 

1877 

3,489,384 

14.70 

512,681.49 

"    1878 

5,260,729 

14.60 

768,382.02 

1879 

5.252,925 

11.22 

589,488.27 

The  Farmer's  Warehouse, 

by  Redd  &  Jordan,  is  a  large  and  commodious  brick  building,  erected  on 
the  site  of  the  wooden  structure  burned  the  preceding  year.  The  present 
building  is  190x80,  with  an  L  40x50,  with  excellent  arrangements  for  planters 
and  teams.  The  receipts  of  this  house,  embracing  everything  but  shippirlg 
tobacco,  are  from  Henry,  Halifax  and  Pittsylvania  counties  in  Virginia  and 
from  the  border  counties  of  North  Carolina.  Brights  predominate.  The 
sales  of  the  crop  of  1879-80  are  estimated  at  four  million  pounds. 


69 

The  Cabell  Warehouse 

was  erected  in  November,  1877,  and  is  a  wooden  building  190x110,  with  a 
lot  extending  from  Bridge  to  Craghead  and  Main  streets,  with  extensive 
accommodations  for  teams,  one  hundred  and  fifty  stalls,  a  camp-house  of 
brick,  two  stories  high,  and  a  three-story  storage  house  for  tobacco  held  for 
sale.  The  heaviest  receipts  are  from  Halifax  County,  in  Virginia,  and  the 
border  counties  of  North  Carolina,  chiefly  Caswell  and  Rockingham. 
Brights  predominate,  but  the  receipts  of  mahogany  wrappers  and  fillers 
from  Henry  and  Rockingham  are  large.  The  receipts  from  the  crop  of 
1879-80  are  estimated  at  five  millions. 

The  Public  Warehouse, 

by  Thomas  L.  Poindexter  &  Son,  was  erected  in  1877  and  is  of  wood, 
170x70,  with  a  wing  40x60.  Receipts  of  all  grades  are  from  the 
neighboring  counties  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina.  Large  sales  are 
made  on  orders,  and  the  sales  this  year  will  exceed  five  million  pounds. 

The  Banner  Warehouse 

was  opened  on  the  19th  of  November,  1879,  the  proprietors  being  J.  B. 
Anderson  &  Co.  The  building  is  of  brick,  160x80,  and  is  admirably 
lighted  and  is  altogether  one  of  the  most  perfect  structures  of  its  kind  in 
use.  A  new  feature  in  it  is  that  baggage  and  harness  are  checked  as  in 
hotels. 

Mr.  C.  C.  Anderson  is  auctioneer ;  N.  L.  Johnson,  of  Caswell  County, 
North  Carolina,  and  J.  H.  Cole,  of  Halifax,  Virginia,  are  floor  managers. 

The  sales  for  this  year  are  about  three  and  one-half  million  pounds,  with 
an  average  of  twelve  and  three-quarter  cents. 

•  Neal's  Warehouse. 

No  information  furnished. 

The  Annual  Report  of  the  President  of  the  Tobacco  Association  of 
Danville  (Mr.  Ferrall),  made  for  the  year  closing  September  30,  1880, 
shows  that  the  receipts  of  leaf  for  the  year  amounted  to  33,151,310  pounds, 
selling  on  the  warehouse  floors  for  $3,775,500.79,  or  an  average  of  $11.38 
per  hundred. 

Of  this  it  is  estimated  that  North  Carolina  furnished  nearly,  if  not  quite, 
one-half — the  location  of  Danville  being  such  that  it  commands  the  North 
Carolina  trade  as  much  as  she  does  that  of  Virginia. 

Danville  is  a  very  important  manufacturing  point,  there  being  about 
thirty  factories  of  the  largest  and  most  substantial  character  used  for  the 
manufacture  of  plug  tobacco ;  but  these  are  only  referred  to,  not  being 
essential  to  the  objects  of  this  publication. 


CHAPTER  X. 

BURDENS  ON  TOBACCO. 

GOVERNMENTS  may  fairly  be  permitted,  in  provision  for  their  main-- 
tenance,  to  select  such  objects  for  the  imposition  of  the  burden  of  taxa- 
tion, from  which  essential  revenue  is  derived,  as  may  justly  fall  under  the 
head  of  luxuries.  The  common  sense  of  mankind  assigns  to  superfluities 
responsibilities  from  which  necessaries  of  life  should  be  freed.  But  in  the 
changed  subjects  of  modern  tastes  and  habits,  it  is  difficult  to  draw  the  dis- 
tinction between  what  are  luxuries  and  what  are  necessaries.  What  was 
once  accessible  only  to  the  rich  and  grateful  only  to  the  refined,  the  larger 
intercourse  of  nations  has  brought  within  the  reach  of  all.  High  prices 
may  no  longer  erect  a  barrier  between  the  rich  and  the  poor ;  and  the 
favored  taste  of  a  special  class  has  become  the  common  relish  of  the 
masses.  And  there  would  be  no  restriction  upon  the  common  enjoyment 
of  so-called  luxuries  did  not  Government  step  in,  and,  by  the  imposition  of 
duties  of  taxes,  revive  a  distinction  which  time  had  almost  effaced.  In 
nothing  has  this  distinction  been  more  arbitrarily  asserted  and  enforced 
than  in  the  article  of  tobacco,  scarcely  to  be  called  a  luxury,  since  it  has 
become  so  indispensable  to  the  comfort  of  the  human  race.  And  in  nothing 
is  this  distinction  so  unjust,  because  it  is  enforced  upon  a  solitary  subject  of 
agricultural  toil.  Foreign  governments  may  be  pardoned  for  their  exactions 
upon  articles  of  distant  growth.  A  home  government  shows  deficiency  in 
parental  interest,  rather  displays  the  animosity  of  a  foster  parent,  when  it 
singles  out  tobacco  alone  of  all  agricultural  produce  as  the  mark  for  heavy 
discrimination  and  vindictive  oppression.  The  results  of  the  war  made 
the  South  sensible  that  it  had  many  of  its  after  burdens  to  bear,  but  the 
terms  of  settlement  could  not  lead  her  to  expect  so  unequal  an  apportion- 
ment of  them.  They  were  imposed,  however,  when  the  Southern  States  had 
no  voice  in  acts  of  national  legislation,  when  the  voice  of  the  victor  clam- 
orously dictated  the  policy  of  the  Government,  and  when  prostrate  provinces 
offered  a  rich  and  ready  sp'oil  in  the  wealth  of  special  objects  of  universal 
consumption.  The  civilized  world,  the  North  itself,  called  a  halt  when  the 
heavy  hand  of  taxation  was  laid  on  cotton,  because  that  staple  had  inter- 
woven itself  into  the  interests  and  sympathies  of  every  industrial  commu- 
nity. But  tobacco,  the  special  subject  of  Southern  culture  and  manufacture^ 
has  found  no  friends  with  any  administration,  and  though  the  tax  has  fluc- 
tuated from  forty  cents  down  to  sixteen  cents  upon  the  pound,  it  endures 
even  at  this  lowest  rate  a  burden  on  the  most  abundant  grades,  of  from  one 
to  four  hundred  per  cent.  No  such  burden  has  ever  oppressed  an  Anglo- 
Saxon  agricultural  class  ;  and  it  is  one  amazing  to  the  newly  created  African 
citizens,  large  producers  of  tobacco,  who,  in  all  other  particulars,  have  been 
the  signal  recipients  of  governmental  favors. 


71 

In  the  imposition  of  the  tax  on  tobacco,  certain  axioms  have  been  disre- 
garded. "  In  a  free  government  taxes  are  laid  by  the  representatives  of  the 
people,  and  of  course  with  the  consent  of  those  who  are  to  pay  them."  If 
ours  is  now  a  free  government,  which  it  certainly  was  not  in  respect  to  an 
important  section  at  the  time  the  revenue  laws  were  enacted,  it  is  theoreti- 
cally proper  and  justly  right  that  that  revenue  be  now  revised  to  approxi- 
mate equality  in  burdens.  It  can  never  be  just,  however  it  may  be  tempo- 
rarily productive,  to  oppress  one  special  industry.  Again :  "  every  tax  ought 
to  be  so  apportioned  as  to  take  out,  and  keep  out,  of  the  pockets  of  the 
people  as  little  as  possible  over  and  above  of  what  it  brings  into  the  public 
treasury  of  the  State."  The  revenue  law  of  the  United  States  disregards 
this  absolutely.  It  takes  out,  and  it  putt  nothing  back.  It  robs  the  pro- 
ducer, and  affects  all  others.  To  use  the  language  of  the  Hon.  Geo.  C. 
Cabell,  M.  C.  from  Virginia  : 
/"  "  The  producer  suffers  because  his,  of  all  other  agricultural  products,  is 
singled  out  for  taxation  ;  that  his  industrial  pursuit,  to  which  he  is  compelled 
by  the  peculiarities  of  climate,  soil  and  habit,  is  heavily  burdened,  his  bone 
and  muscle,  his  energy,  his  toil,  his  poverty,  are  all  made  to  pay  tribute  to 
the  Government,  while  other  sections,  other  industries,  and  other  produc- 
tions go  free  of  tax,  and,  indeed,  are  made  to  prosper  by  reason  of  the  very 
impositions  upon  tobacco. 

"  The  manufacturer  suffers  because  he  must  carry,  at  vast  outlay,  not  only 
his  stock  but  his  stamps ;  because  he  is  hedged  about  by  annoying  regula- 
tions, and  is  subjected  not  only  to  the  ordinary  vicissitudes  of  trade,  but  to 
the  constant  agitation  which  ever  attends  an  onerous  tax. 

"  The  consumer  suffers  because,  having  contracted  the  free  use  of  tobacco, 
he  regards  it  more  as  a  necessity  than  a  luxury  ;  because  many  of  the  poorer 
classes,  the  greatest  consumers,  by  the  enhanced  price  consequent  upon 
the  tax  are  driven  in  great  degree  from  the  market,  and  forced  to  the  use 
of  the  meaner  grades  of  tobacco,  while  the  rich  alone  can  indulge  in  the 
luxury  of  the  fine. 

"  The  Government  suffers  because  the  tax  rate  is  so  high  that  it  discourages 
production,  manufacture,  and  consumption,  promotes  fraud,  paralyzes 
trade,  and,  in  short,  by  its  oppressiveness  defeats  in  great  degree  the  ends 
and  objects  of  the  whole  revenue  system." 

The  product  of  North  Carolina  for  the  year  1880  is  not  less  than  forty-six 
million  of  pounds.  The  average  value  of  this  is  about  twelve  cents,  or 
$5,552,000.     The  tax  is  sixteen  cents  a  pound,  or  $7,360,000. 

The  tax  is  the  more  onerous  because  the  imposition  of  an  authority 
which  will  not  be  convinced  of  unwisdom  or  injustice,  and  because,  in  many 
parts  of  the  South,  it  is  the  only  money  crop,  the  only  profitable  crop 
adapted  to  many  soils — a  crop  made  and  perfected  by  hereditary  habit  and 
skill,  and  one,  therefore,  not  readily  abandoned. 

But  if  the  production  of  tobacco  is  oppressed  at  home,  how  much  more 
kindly  or  wisely  is  it  welcomed  abroad?     Great  Britain  closes   all  but 


72 

thirteen  of  her  many  ports  against  it,  and  in  these  thirteen  graciously 
permits  its  reception  upon  the  payment  of  a  duty  of  3s.  per  pound  without 
regard  to  quality,  and  if  it  contains  less  than  10  per  cent,  of  moisture 
3s.  6d. — the  shilling  being  about  23  cents.  France,  Austria,  Spain  and 
Italy  all  control  a  monopoly  of  tobacco  through  the  agency  of  the  Regie 
system.  These  governments  enter  into  contracts  with  certain  of  their 
subjects  who  engage  to  furnish  a  certain  quantity  at  a  stipulated  price. 
These  contractors  naturally  pay  as  little  as  they  can  to  make  as  much  as 
they  can  out  of  their  contract.  The  amount  contracted  for  is  restricted, 
therefore  over-production,  or  even  the  normal  crop  of  the  United  States, 
finds  no  Continental  market  open  to  the  caprices  or  changes  of  demand. 
The  quality  purchased  is  inferior,  therefore  the  producer  has  no  encourage- 
ment for  the  increased  culture  of  superior  grades.  The  contractor  may  lose 
by  his  contract;  but  his  government,  using  its  power  of  monopoly  with 
relentless  force,  adds  largely  to  its  revenues. 

To  illustrate  the  operations  of  the  Regie  system  in  France  the  following, 
from  the  New  York  Commercial  Bulletin  of  July,  1880,  is  quoted,  premising 
that  the  reports  of  the  Regie  for  1874  had  only  recently  been  published 
and  the  statistics  of  that  year  only  are  available. 

The  quantity  of  tobacco  purchased  by  the  French  government  in  1875 
and  1874  respectively  was  as  follows: 

1875.  1874. 

Domestic  and  foreign  tobacco 17,900,863         16,748,599 

Cigars  and  cigarettes 12,864,388         21,663,686 


Total,  kilos 30,666,251         38,412,285 

The  average  price  of  the  home  crop  of  France  in  1875  was  9of.  66c.  per 
100  kilos,  and  Algerian  brought  62f.  79c.  In  1874  the  averages  were 
respectively  8gf.  89c.  and  75f.  34c.  The  production  of  tobacco  in  France 
was  in  1874  13,828,486  kilos  and  in  Algeria  4,850,043  kilos.  The 
purchases  in  1874  and  in  1875,  with  the  average  price  paid  per  100  kilos  (in 
francs),  were  as  follows : 

The  kilo  or  kilogramme  is  i\  pounds  and  the  franc  is  i8f  cents. 

-1875 ,         ; 1874- 


American  Kilos. 

Virginia 1,127,155 

Kentucky 630,778 

Maryland 2,239,2 1 3 

Brazil 509,068 

New  Grenada 121 

Mexico x)037 

San  Domingo 91 

Seed  Leaf 173-99° 

Rio  Grande 297,727 

Havana 115,515 


Price. 

Kilos. 

Price. 

133-77 

1,849,882 

112.22 

J34-33 

5.637.548 

114.63 

128.41 

5,988,023 

112. 10 

232.99 

215,414 

217.86 

204.49 
300.00 
301.64 

275 

235-89 

122.07 

1,927 

167-53 

193.82 

544 

202.87 

663.03 

60,418 

815-93 

13,754,084 

.       73 

The  average  price  was  1,007.99^  per  100  kilos.  The  profits  of  the 
French  government  monopoly  ranged  from  177,920,000^  in  1865  to 
254,557,ooof.  in  1875,  which  is  one  of  the  easiest  ways  of  making  revenue 
for  a  government  we  know  of. 

The  franc  is  nearly  one-fifth  of  a  dollar,  so  that  the  government,  in  these 
two  years,  made  respectively  a  profit  of  $35,580,000  and  $50,911,400. 

In  other  foreign  countries  the  duties  are  as  follows : 

In  Germany  the  duty  on  leaf  tobacco  and  stems  is  85  marks  per  100 
kilogrammes,  equal  to  10.40  cents  per  pound;  on  strips  and  scraps,  180 
marks  per  100  kilogrammes,  equal  to  22.05  cents  per  pound ;  on 
manufactured  tobacco  and  cigars,  170  marks  per  100  kilogrammes,  equal 
to  33.08  cents  per  pound.  On  tobacco  produced  in  Germany,  the  tax  taking 
effect  after  April  1,  1880:  From  April  1,  1880,  to  March  31,  1881,  10  marks 
per  180  kilogrammes,  equal  to  2.45  cents  per  pound  ;  from  April  1,  1881, 
to  March  31,  1882,  30  marks  per  100  kilogrammes,  equal  to  3.67  cents  per 
pound;  from  April  1,  1882,  and  thereafter  45  marks  per  100  kilogrammes, 
equal  to  5.50  cents  per  pound.  In  Belgium  the  impost  is  reckoned  after 
deducting  15  per  cent,  for  tare.  The  duty  is  2of.  ($3.86  gold)  per  100 
kilogrammes  (100  American  pounds  equal  to  45J  kilogrammes).  In 
Holland  the  duty  is  28  cents  gold  per  100  kilogrammes  (280  American 
pounds  being  equal  to  127  kilogrammes).  In  Russia  the  duty  on  leaf 
tobacco  is  4  roubles  10  kopecks  per  pud ;  on  smoking  tobacco  26  roubles 
40  kopecks  per  pud  (the  pud  is  about  36  American  pounds).  In  Turkey 
the  duty  is  50  cents  gold  per  ni  American  ounces.  In  England  the 
duties  are,  on  unmanufactured :  Stemmed  or  stripped  and  unstemmed, 
containing  10  pounds  or  more  of  moisture  in  every  100  pounds  weight 
thereof,  3s.  6d.  per  pound ;  containing  less  than  10  pounds  of  moisture, 
3s.  iod.  per  pound.  On  manufactured  tobacco  :  Cavendish  and  Negrohead, 
4s.  iod.  per  pound ;  all  other  sorts,  including  cigarettes,  4s.  6d.  per  pound. 
In  addition  to  the  above  duties  there  is  a  charge  of  £  per  cent,  warehouse 
charges  on  all  descriptions. —  Western  Tobacco  fairnal. 

Canadian  Tobacco  Duties  and  Excise. 

The  following  are  the  rates  of  duty  now  imposed  in  Canada  on  the 
various  manufactures  of  tobacco :  Cigars  and  cigarettes,  50  cents  per 
pound  and  20  per  cent,  ad  valorem.  Manufactured  tobacco,  25  cents  per 
pound  and  12^  per  cent,  ad  valorem.  Snuff,  25  cents  per  pound  and  12$ 
per  cent,  ad  valorem.  In  lieu  of  all  excise  duties — except  license  fees — now 
imposed  on  tobacco  known  as  "  common  Canadian  twist,"  otherwise  called 
"  tabac  blanc  en  torquette,"  being  the  unpressed  leaf  rolled  and  twisted, 
and  made  wholly  from  raw  tobacco,  the  growth  of  Canada,  and  upon  raw 
leaf,  the  growth  of  Canada,  there  shall  be  imposed,  levied  and  collected  on 
every  pound  or  less  quantity  than  a  pound  an  excise  duty  of  four  cents. 

Our  own  government  is  not  behind  others  in  its  readiness  to  impose  its 


74 
i 

burden  upon  tobacco.  The  following  are  the  taxes  laid,  which  produced  to 
the  government,  in  1879,  a  revenue  on  170,722,000  pounds  consumed  at 
home/  and  including  tax  on  cigars,  cigarettes,  snuff,  special  tax  on  manufac- 
turers, dealers,  etc.,  $41,115,528. 

The  tax  on  all  kinds  of  manufactured  tobacco  is  16  cents  per  pound  ; 
snuff,  16  cents  per  pound;  cigars,  $6  per  thousand;  cigarettes  weighing 
not  over  three  pounds  per  thousand,  $1.75  per  thousand;  cigarettes  and 
cheroots  weighing  over  three  pounds  per  thousand,  $6  per  thousand.  The 
duty  on  foreign  cigars  is  $2.50  per  pound  and  25  per  cent,  ad  valorem. 
Cigarettes  same  duty  as  cigars.  Imported  cigars,  cigarettes  and  cheroots 
also  bear  the  prescribed  internal  revenue  taxes,  to  be  paid  by  stamps  at 
the  custom  house.  The  import  duty  on  leaf  tobacco  is  35  cents  per  pound; 
leaf  tobacco,  stemmed,  50  cents  per  pound ;  manufactured  tobacco,  50 
cents  per  pound ;  scraps,  50  cents  per  pound.  Manufactured  tobacco  and 
scraps  are  also  subject  to  the  internal  revenue  tax  of  16  cents  per  pound, 
and  must  be  packed  in  conformity  with  internal  revenue  laws  and  regu- 
lations. Scraps  and  cuttings,  however,  may  be  withdrawn  in  bulk  for  use 
in  a  tobacco,  snuff  or  cigar  manufactory  without  payment  of  the  internal 
revenue  tax. —  Western  Tobacco  Journal. 

Retail  dealers  in  leaf  tobacco  are  required  to  pay  a  special  tax  of  $500, 
and  if  their  annual  sales  amount  to  over  $1,000  they  must  pay  an  additional 
tax  of  fifty  cents  for  every  dollar  in  excess  of  $1,000  of  their  sales.  The 
tax  upon  dealers  in  leaf  tobacco,  those  who  buy  and  sell  on  commission 
original  and  unbroken  hogsheads,  bales  and  cases,  is  $25.00;  but  merchants 
may  buy  from  planters,  upon  the  payment  of  a  license  tax  of  $5,  to  an 
extent  not  exceeding  25,000  pounds  per  annum. 

Farmers  and  planters  are  not  required  to  pay  any  tax  on  tobacco  of  their 
own  raising,  or  that  received  by  them  as  rent  from  tenants  who  have 
produced  the  same  on  their  land.  Neither  will  the  farmer  be  required  to 
pack  or  prize  his  tobacco  before  offering  it  for  sale,  in  hogsheads  or  other- 
wise, but  he  may  sell  it  loose  as  he  has  heretofore  been  in  the  habit  of 
selling,  irrespective  of  taxation.  If,  however,  he  sells  direct  to  consumers, 
or  if  he  sells,  assigns,  consigns,  transfers  or  disposes  of  his  tobacco  to  per- 
sons other  than  those  who  have  paid  special  taxes,  either  as  leaf  dealers  or 
as  manufacturers  of  tobacco,  snuff  or  cigars,  or  to  persons  purchasing  leaf 
for  export,  he  becomes  liable,  as  a  retail  dealer  in  leaf  tobacco,  to  the 
special  tax  of  $500,  and  to  the  additional  tax  of  fifty  cents  on  every  dollar 
in  excess  of  $1000  of  his  sales.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  farmer  producing 
and  selling  leaf  tobacco,  on  demand  of  any  revenue  officer,  to  furnish  a 
complete  statement,  verified  by  oath,  of  the  amount  of  his  sales,  to  whom 
sold,  and  where  shipped. 

In  brief,  the  revenue  laws  provide : 

No  tax  on  the  raw  material. 

Wholesale  license,  $25.00. 


75 

Retail  license,  $5.00,  and  50  cents  on  each  one  dollar  in  excess  of  sales 
over  $1000. 

Snuff,  16  cents  per  pound. 

Chewing  and  smoking  tobaccos,  16  cents  per  pound. 

The  producer  is  at  the  mercy  of  systems  which  combine  against  him  at 
home  and  abroad.  At  home,  in  the  presence  of  a  great  national  debt, 
diminishing  by  slow  degrees,  and  in  pursuance  of  a  policy  which  practically 
operates  upon  the  South  as  upon  conquered  territory,  there  is  small  hope 
of  relief.  Abroad,  the  same  necessity  is  laid  upon  Great  Brkain  and  upon 
most  of  the  continental  powers.  The  abolition  of  the  Regie  system  may  be 
effected  by  interested  negotiation.  Should  that  be  done,  then  a  wide 
market  would  be  thrown  open  to  such  grades  of  American  tobacco  as  would 
bear  the  imposition  of  high  duties.  For  it  may  be  assumed  that  such 
measures  would  be  followed  by  imposts  somewhat  akin  to  those  of  Great 
Britain.  Fine  qualities  alone  could  bear  those  imposts.  It  would,  there- 
fore, be  the  policy  of  the  North  Carolina  planter  to  direct  his  attention 
mainly  to  the  production  of  such.  The  enlarging  field  for  the  production 
of  "  bright  yellow  tobacco  "  must  have  larger  opening  for  continued  profit- 
able demand.  That  may  follow  when  the  Regie  system  gives  place  to 
something  conformable  to  modern  ideas  of  commerce. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

TOTAL  CROP  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

IT  is  evident  that  no  accurate  account  of  the  crop  of  North  Carolina  has 
ever  been  given.  The  U.  S.  statistician,  in  his  report  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  for  the  year  1878,  the  last  that  has  been  made  public, 
excuses  his  inaccuracies  by  the  difficulty  of  finding  persons  who  are  capable 
and  willing  to  furnish  reliable  estimates,  and  remarks,  that  "  the  National 
census  never  agrees  with  State  returns."  There  have  never  been  accurate 
returns  from  this  State,  either  National  or  State.  But  the  returns  from  the 
Department  at  Washington  are  accepted  abroad  as  authentic.  The  effect, 
of  course,  is  to  diminish  North  Carolina  as  a  tobacco-producing  State,  and 
to  confirm  the  secondary  position  she  has  been  made  to  assume. 

The  report  for  1878  assigns  to  North  Carolina  even  a  lower  place  than  it 
occupied  in  i860.  In  the  former  year,  it  is  credited  with  only  12,896,000 
pounds  on  an  acreage  of  20,800,  with  a  total  valuation  of  crop  of  $773,760. 

Surely  there  have  been  no  steps  backward,  and  though  tobacco  has  been 
so  heavily  oppressed  by  the  exactions  of  onerous  taxation,  the  soils  and 
climates  of  certain  sections,  the  habits  of  the  planters,  and  the  necessities  of 
the  people,  have  compelled  an  adherence  to  the  culture  of  this  staple. 
And  the  opening  of  markets  at  home,  and  the  expansion  of  the  warehouse 
system,  have  stimulated  production  so  largely  that  even  in  1878  the  report 
of  the  statistician  was  enormously  inaccurate. 

It  is  not  possible  to  give  exact  information,  even  from  the  source  most  to 
be  relied  on  for  accuracy — the  warehouses,  both  in  North  Carolina  and 
Virginia,  in  which  the  crop  of  the  former  is  sold — because,  in  addition  to  what 
is  technically  called  "  farmer's  tobacco,"  that  is,  tobacco  delivered  on  the 
floors  of  the  warehouses  by  the  planters  in  person,  there  is  always  a  large 
amount  of  "package  tobacco" — that  is,  tobacco  bought  on  one  market  and 
transhipped  for  sale  to  another  market — sold  in  every  warehouse,  which 
goes  to  make  up  the  aggregate  amount  of  sales. 

Making  due  allowance  for  this,  the  crop  of  1880  may  be  safely  estimated 
as  follows,  the  conclusions  having  been  reached  by  actual  and  personal 
inquiry  : 

The  markets  in  North  Carolina  are :  Durham,  Winston,  Reidsville,  Hen- 
derson, Oxford,  Milton,  Hickory,  Asheville,  Hillsboro,  and  Marshall. 
The  sales  of  farmer's  tobacco  were  as  follows  :  Durham,  8,000,000  pounds  ; 
Winston,  7,000,000;  Reidsville,  4,500,000;  Henderson,  6,500,000;  Oxford, 
2,000,000;  Milton,  2,000,000;  Hickory,  250,000;  Hillsboro,  250,000,  and 
Marshall,  200,000 — total  30,500,000. 

The  sales  at  Danville  for  the  season  of  1880  were,  in  round  numbers, 


77 

34)000,ooo  pounds,  of  which  one-half,  at  least,  is  to  be  credited  to  North 
Carolina.  The  sales  of  North  Carolina  tobacco  in  Richmond  far  exceed 
20,000,000  of  pounds,  two  million  of  which,  at  least,  is  farmer's  tobacco  ; 
Lynchburg  sells  at  least  one  million  pounds  of  North  Carolina  farmer's 
tobacco  ;  South  Boston  as  much,  and  Petersburg  about  the  same — a  total  of 
22,000,000  pounds  sold  in  Virginia,  which,  added  to  the  30,500,000  sold  in 
the  North  Carolina  markets,  gives  a  total  of  52,500,000  pounds. 

Even  if  over-estimated,  which  is  not  believed  to  be  the  case,  the  facts  are 
sufficient  to  justify  the  demand  that  North  Carolina  shall  have  its  recog- 
nition by  foreign  markets  as  a  tobacco  centre  equally  with  Virginia, 
Kentucky,  Maryland  and  Missouri,  and  should  be  entitled  to  a  distinct 
classification  for  her  distinctive  qualities.  She  is  almost  the  sole  producer 
— a  small  portion  of  Virginia  being  the  only  exception — of  the  bright 
yellow  tobacco.  There  is  an  injustice  and  an  impropriety  in  classing  this 
grade  in  Europe  as  "  Virginia  Strips  "  which  might  make  the  ears  of  a 
North  Carolinian  tingle  with  shame  that  no  effort  had  ever  been  made  to 
free  his  State  from  its  humiliating  insignificance.  The  present  classification 
of  the  London  market  may  be  retained ;  but  it  is  right  that  the  agency  of 
the  State  that  almost  monopolizes  the  production  of  this  beautiful  and 
valuable  grade  should  have  recognition,  and  that  "  North  Carolina  Brights" 
take  their  deserved  place  alongside  of  "  Virginia  Strips."  Such  rec- 
ognition would  elevate  the  State  from  its  commercial  obscurity;  would 
give  it  a  distinct  name  and  place  in  the  markets  of  the  world ;  would 
transfer  the  attention  of  buyers  and  contractors  to  a  new  centre  of  supply ; 
would  fill  our  own  markets  with  foreign  orders ;  would  stimulate  our  own 
internal  transactions ;  would  give  new  spirit  to  our  manufactories,  and 
would  infuse  new  life  into  all  our  business  by  bringing  us  in  contact  with 
new  men  and  new  systems.  Importance  would  be  given  to  our  own 
markets,  which  is  now  lost  from  the  practice  of  dealing  through  secondary 
agencies.  Importance  may  be  added  to  our  own  seaports  by  giving  to 
them  the  business  which  is  now  absorbed  by  others.  The  reproach  which 
attaches  to  North  Carolina — that  she  is  "  a  strip  of  land  between  two 
States  " — would  be  removed,  and  she  would  become  recognized  in  her  own 
right  as  the  most  abundant  producer  of  the  best  tobacco  in  the  United 
States,  as  she  is  the  producer  of  everything  else  known  to  the  soil  and 
climate  of  the  United  States,  from  Maine  to  Texas. 

In  this  connection  other  new  sources  of  supply  may  be  referred  to,  which 
promise  to  become  very  important  in  their  relation  to  the  crop  of  brights, 
adding,  like  the  transmontane  section,  an  unexpected  field  for  the  produc- 
tion of  that  quality  of  tobacco.  These  new  fields  are  portions  of  the 
counties  of  Wayne,  Lenoir  and  Sampson — all  lying  in  the  eastern  belt — 
and  may  be  much  enlarged  over  present  experiment,  since  the  Laurentian 
formation,  overlaid  with  the  quaternary  sands,  characterizes  a  very  large 
area. 


78 

The  Messrs.  Borden  and  Mr.  Grant,  of  Wayne  County,  have  both 
planted  on  a  large  scale — the  former  having  had  last  year  one  hundred  and 
five  acres  in  cultivation  near  Goldsboro.  Their  success  was  satisfactory. 
Their  cures  of  bright  were  much  admired  on  the  Durham  and  Danville 
markets,  and  were  assigned  a  high  character.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
Mr.  Parrott,  of  Lenoir  County. 

Mr.  L.  B.  Colman,  who  removed  from  Person  County  to  Sampson  County 
in  1879,  and  who  bought  a  farm  near  Clinton,  gives  some  details  of  his 
operations  during  the  crop  season  of  1880.  The  soil  of  his  land*is  a  gray, 
sandy  loam,  with  a  growth  of  long  leaf  pine  and  undergrowth  of  dogwood, 
sour  wood,  etc.  His  experience  assures  him  that  the  land  is  very  suitable 
to  the  production  of  fine  yellow  tobacco.  Tobacco  "  yellows  "  well  on  the 
hill  and  cures  readily.  Mr.  C.  cures  by  flue  system.  The  cultivation  is 
much  less  laborious  than  in  the  upper  counties,  the  ploughing  more  shallow 
and  much  less  work  required.  He  had  twenty-five  acres  in  cultivation  in 
1880,  but  will  put  in  forty  acres  next  year,  as  he  regards  his  success  as 
unmistakable.  He  planted  on  the  29th  of  April,  cutting  on  the  27th '  of 
July.  His  crop  was  sold  in  Danville  The  quality  was  superior,  the  color 
excellent,  and  the  body  good  and  heavy,  comparing  favorably  with  the  best 
from  other  sections. 

Mr.  Ashford,  of  Clinton,  had  also  in  1880  a  crop  of  twenty-five  acres  in 
tobacco,  and  others  in  the  vicinity  will  engage  in  the  same  culture. 

In  view  of  the  large  crop  of  North  Carolina,  of  the  large  crop  of  the 
United  States,  of  the  immense  production  of  the  whole  world,  and  also  in 
view  of  the  burdens  imposed  through  revenue  systems  upon  tobacco,  the 
planter  is  beset  with  difficulties  from  which  extrication  is  troublesome.  But, 
as  the  first  step  to  release,  his  effort  must  be  to  add  to  the  intrinsic  value 
of  the  article  produced.  Taxation  makes  no  discrimination  in  favor  of  bad 
tobacco ;  it  is  laid  with  equal  hand  on  good  and  bad  alike,  unintentionally, 
perhaps,  putting  a  premium  upon  the  former  and  repressing  the  other  by 
wholesome  warning.  Common  sense  teaches  the  impolicy  of  persisting  in 
a  profitless  course,  yet  every  crop  is  of  such  character  that  the  bad  is  out 
of  all  proportion  to  the  good,  and  the  average  sales  of  the  warehouses 
show  that  prices  fall  twenty-five  per  cent,  below  the  tax  levied  per  pound 
on  the  subject  of  sale. 

The  remedy  is  greatly  in  the  hands  of  the  planter.  He  must  direct  his 
efforts  to  raise  nothing  but  fine  grades.  "Against  our  low  grades  the  world 
at  large  can  furnish  substitutes  enough,  and  at  prices  that  drive  us  from 
the  market ;  for  our  fine  grades  there  is  no  substitute.  We  are  unwise  then 
if  we  do  not  profit  by  this  advantage."* 

These  fine  grades  embrace  both  the  bright  yellow  and  the  dark  manufac- 
turing, both  unequalled  in  their  kind,  and  both  dependent  for  perfection 
upon  culture  and  cure,  and  also  largely  upon  subsequent  handling.     In 

*  Mr.  John  Ott,  in  "  Tobacco  in  Virginia  and  North  Carolina." 


79 

culture,  both  repel  gross  manures,  which  are  inconsistent  with  the  delicacy 
of  texture  and  the  richness  of  color  characteristic  of  both  in  their  degree; 
hence,  artificial  fertilizers  become  imperatively  necessary  in  lands  of  the 
second  year.  These  fertilizers  hold  competing  repute  between  the  Anchor 
brand,  the  Star,  the  Pacific,  Ober's  and  others,  all  having  their  advocates, 
perhaps  with  equal  justice,  variation  between  them  being  determined,  prob- 
ably, by  local  peculiarity. 

Culture  and  cure  may  be  perfect,  yet  the  duties  and  troubles  of  the 
planter  are  not  ended  until  it  is  sold,  and  to  do  this  profitably  he  must  not 
disregard  certain  absolute  essentials.  In  getting  ready  for  market,  tobacco 
must  be  well  assorted  in  respect  to  size,  color  and  condition.  This  is  a  very 
important  matter,  because,  in  mixed  grades,  the  quality  of  the  lowest  deter- 
mines the  value  of  the  whole. 

Tobacco  must  not  be  smoked  after  it  is  cured.  This  is  a  process  which 
always  betrays  itself  and  at  once  reduces  the  selling  price  of  the  leaf,  what- 
ever its  color  or  texture.  Transmontane  planters  have  been  apt  to  fall  into 
this  practice,  owing  to  the  slow  introduction  of  the  more  approved  processes 
which  have  come  in  vogue  in  late  years  in  the  eastern  counties. 

Tobacco  when  brought  to  the  warehouses  by  planters  in  their  wagons, 
should  be  brought  in  as  large  parcels  as  possible.  Buyers  in  search  of  large 
quantities  of  like  grades  prefer  to  buy  in  as  large  parcels  as  possible,  to  avoid 
the  necessity  of  making  up  their  supplies  through  the  accumulation  of  many 
small  lots.     Better  prices  are  paid  for  large  than  for  small  parcels. 

Next  to  assorting,  it  is  important  that  tobacco  be  brought  to  market  in 
"good  order,"  a  technicality  understood  by  the  farmer,  but  sometimes 
neglected  in  the  haste  to  make  sales.  There  is  no  instruction  that  ware- 
housemen are  more  earnest  in  impressing  than  this.  Tobacco  handled  too 
"  high"    or  too  dry  is  equally  objectionable. 

Another  essential  is 

Good  Seed. 

Major  R.  L.  Ragland,  of  Halifax  County,  Virginia,  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensive planters  of  that  State,  one  of  the  most  observing,  intelligent  and 
successful  cultivators  of  tobacco,  says  in  a  letter  addressed  to  the  writer, 
"the  importance  of  good  seed  is  under-estimated  by  agriculturists  generally," 
and  submits  the  following  valuable  views  : 

"An  extended  and  critical  examination  of  the  tobacco  fields  of  Virginia, 
West  Virginia  and  Maryland,  has  revealed  not  only  great  dissimilarity  in 
the  culture,  cure  and  management  of  this  crop,  the  varying  character  of  the 
soils  and  the  multitude  of  the  varieties  planted,  but  in  far  too  many  instances 
the  lack  of  adaptation  of  varieties  to  soils  and  types,  and  the  loss  consequent 
from  planting  degenerated  seed  of  no  distinct  variety. 

"The  tobacco  seed,  like  others,  is  susceptible  of  improvement  or  degene- 
ration. It  will  hybridize,  some  of  our  best  varieties  being  the  result  of  cross 
fertilization  of  the  blooms  of  our  old  varieties.     These   last   have  been 


80 

greatly  improved  by  continuous  selection — selecting  the  best  as  seed  plants, 
and  priming  off  all  the  seed  sprays  except  the  three  crown  shoots,  and 
clipping  the  ends  of  these,  thus  throwing  the  whole  force  of  the  plant  into 
a  small  number  of  seed  pods,  and  taking  the  seed  from  the  best  of  these 
for  a  series  of  years. 

"  In  this  way  pedigree  seed  are  raised  that  are  as  sure  to  transmit  their 
valuable  qualities  to  fbeir  product  as  a  thoroughbred  animal  may  be  relied 
upon  to  transmit  his  or  her  fine  traits  to  their  offspring. 

"The  loss  consequent  upon  using  inferior  seed  is  nowhere  more  apparent 
than  in  the  tobacco  crop.  The  remedy  is  plain  and  cheap,  for  the  cost  of 
the  best  seed  to  plant  a  large  crop  is  so  small  an  item  that  all  who  desire 
may,  without  inconvenience,  secure  the  best. 

"  The  Oronokos  and  Pryors  are  good  varieties  when  pure  and  genuine, 
and  are  the  sources  from  which  our  best  plants  have  come ;  some  of  the 
new  are  decided  improvements  upon  the  old  ones.  But  care  must  betaken 
and  judgment  displayed  in  the  selection,  so  as  to  get  what  is  suited  to  soil 
and  type.  The  '  Gold  Leaf,'  which  is  a  hybrid  between  the  Oronoko  and 
Pryor,  is  a  new  variety  of  good  promise.  It  produces  an  orange  or 
mahogany-colored  leaf  rather  than  a  lemon  color,  but  will  turn  out  generally 
a  more  salable  tobacco  than  either  of  its  progenitors. 

"The  '  Flannagan,' a  high-bred  variety  of  the  old  '  Narrow  Leaf  Oronoko,' 
but  broader  and  finer  in  texture,  is  growing  in  favor,  and  deservedly,  for  the 
best  grades  of  fillers  and  wrappers. 

"  The  'White  Burley '  is  a  popular  filler  and  cutter,  sells  well,  is  much  in 
demand,  and  deserves  trial  on  all  limestone  land. 

"  The  mixed  varieties  in  many  crops  will  not  cure  uniformly  nor  make  a 
desirable  type  in  any  market.  f 

"  Select  a  type  that  the  soil  will  produce  to  perfection,  and  then  you  may 
spend  labor,  means  and  skill  upon  it  with  some  assurance  of  compensation." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

VARIETIES  OF  TOBACCO,  CLASSIFICATION,  ETC. 

TOBACCO,  spread  now  as  a  subject  of  cultivation  over  all  the  habitable 
globe,  may  be  assumed  to  have  acquired  characteristics  derived  from 
soil,  climate,  or  modes  of  culture,  so  as  to  present  as  many  varieties  as  there 
are  countries  in  which  it  is  cultivated.  Botanists  claim  to  recognize  several 
species  of  the  plant,  and  also  to  ally  tobacco  by  a  botanical  consanguinity 
with  other  plants  differing  totally  in  appearance,  properties  and  uses ;  con- 
necting it  with  some  containing  powerful  narcotic  poisonous  properties,  such 
as  belladonna,  stramonium  and  hyoscyamus,  and  also  with  the  innocent 
tomato  and  potato.  But  while  several  species  are  recognized,  most  of  the 
tobacco  of  commerce  comes  from  the  Nicotiana  tabacum,  the  common 
tobacco  of  the  United  States.  The  Nicotiana  rustica  is  mostly  cultivated 
in  Europe,  and  also  in  parts  of  Asia  and  Africa,  now  naturalized  in  those 
countries,  but  coming  originally  from  America.  Some  of  the  European 
tobaccos  contain  an  excess  of  nicotine.  The  Levant  tobaccos  are  mild  and 
pleasant,  and  the  Latakia,  among  the  Turkish  tobaccos,  has  a  broad  yellow- 
leaf  of  admired  fragrance.  The  Luzon  or  Manilla  tobacco,  used  for 
cheroots,  is  dark  and  somewhat  strong,  and  is  thought  to  approach  the 
character  of  the  Cuban.  This  last  in  exquisiteness  of  flavor  stands  first  in 
the  esteem  of  all  consumers :  used  exclusively  for  cigars,  these  last  were 
only  known  to  commerce  since  the  opening  of  the  present  century.  The 
west  end  of  Cuba,  the  Vuelta  Abajo,  produces  the  most  highly  prized,  com- 
bining good  color,  flavor,  and  perfect  leaves  ;  this  tobacco  has  many  classi- 
fications not  necessary  to  notice.  Another  well-known  Cuba  tobacco  is 
the  Yara,  grown  in  the  Vuelta  Arriba,  lying  east  of  the  city  of  Havana. 

Other  West  India  Islands,  notably  Trinidad,  which  produces  a  very  high- 
flavored  tobacco ;  Mexico,  which  makes  enough  for  home  consumption ; 
Brazil,  which  exports  largely,  and  other  American  States,  produce  tobaccos, 
all  perhaps  with  some  distinctive  features. 

The  varieties  in  the  United  States  owe  their  peculiarities  perhaps 
altogether  to  soil.  The  heavy  dark  tobacco  of  Kentucky  is  not  essentially 
different  from  the  bright  yellow  of  North  Carolina.  The  seed  leaf  of 
Pennsylvania  had  the  same  original.  But  process  of  time  has  brought 
about  changes  so  great  that  the  superficial  eye  might  infer  radical  differences. 
So  far  the  different  qualities  in  North  Carolina  refer  to  the  same  stock. 
The  Oronoko,  broad  and  narrow,  and  the  Silky  Pryor,  furnish  alike  the 
dark  mahogany  wrappers,  the  sun-cured  fillers,  and  the  bright  leaf  for 
wrappers  or  smokers.  Other  seed,  it  is  true,  have  their  advocates,  but  they 
constitute  only  sub-varieties.     These  are  the  subjects  of  the  active  traffic 


82 

which  gives  life  to  the  tobacco  markets,  and  they  in  turn  are  subjected  to 
classification  according  to  merit. 

First,  there  are  the  Lugs,  which  are  the  ground  or  inferior  leaves,  used 
for  smokers  and  fillers,  and  which  are  graded  as  "  common  red  lugs," 
"  common  bright,"  "  good  bright,"  and  "  fancy  bright,"  the  value  increasing 
upwards  from  the  lowest  grade. 

"Leaf"  comes  next,  and  is  graded  as  "common  red,"  "good  red," 
"  common  brights,"  and  "  good  brights."  This  class  is  used  exclusively  for 
fillers. 

"  Cutting  tobacco,"  a  rich,  waxy  tobacco  of  medium  bright,  is  graded 
as  "good"  and  "extra."  A  very  superior  article  of  this  class,  claimed  to 
be  the  best  in  the  world,  is  sold  on  the  Durham  (N.  C.)  market,  the  product 
of  the  adjacent  counties,  and  is  now  largely  used  by  Blackwell  &  Co.  and 
E.  H.  Pogue  for  "  Long  Cut." 

"Wrappers  "  are  "common,"  "medium,"  "good,"  and  "extra,  or  fancy," 
and  include  dark  or  mahogany  wrappers,  and  the  beautiful  bright  yellow, 
the  subject  of  such  extravagant  prices,  reaching  two  dollars  and  two  dollars 
and  a  half  a  pound.  This,  as  its  name  implies,  is  used  for  the  covering  of 
the  more  costly  brands  of  plug  tobacco. 

The  Warehouse  System 

connects  itself  naturally  with  the  preceding  subject,  for  in  them  the  terms 
mentioned  are  most  frequently  heard. 

Previous  to  the  war,  the  medium  of  warehouses  to  facilitate  the  business 
of  the  planter  and  buyer  was  so  little  known  as  to  be  exceptional.  Danville 
in  Virginia  and  Milton  in  North  Carolina  had  each  made  a  step  in  the 
direction  of  consolidation  of  the  business.  But  the  common  practice  was  to 
sell  to  merchants,  manufacturers,  or  buyers,  of  any  class,  in  modes  most 
convenient  to  all  parties.  Much  was  shipped  to  factors  in  Richmond  and 
Petersburg.  A  great  deal  was  bought  by  merchants,  who  were  in  the  habit 
of  keeping  annual  accounts  with  the  planters,  furnishing  them  with  planta- 
tion supplies,  and  making  settlements  at  the  end  of  the  year.  The  war 
interfered  with  this  system,  and  the  return  of  peace  destroyed  it.  Neither 
merchant  nor  farmer  could  wait  a  whole  year.  The  capital  of  the  first  could 
not  endure  it ;  the  credit  of  the  other  was  destroyed  by  the  loss  of  his  slave 
property.  He  was  compelled  to  live,  as  it  were,  from  hand  to  mouth.  He 
had  to  make  frequent  small  sales  to  meet  family  necessities,  to  pay  his 
laborers  or  to  pay  his  taxes.  He  had  to  find  a  market  often.  This  demand 
was  met  by  the  opening  of  sales  houses  at  points  on  railroads  principally, 
because  on  railroads  could  more  readily  be  met  the  requisitions  of  the 
revenue  service,  the  ready  and  convenient  supply  of  stamps  being  essential 
to  manufacturers,  and  these  becoming  the  great  patrons  of  the  warehouses. 
The  two  have  become  indispensable  complements  of  each  other,  as  illus- 
trated by  Danville,  Durham,  Reidsville,  Winston,  Henderson,  Oxford,  and 
other  points,  the  centres  of  the  tobacco  industry. 


83 

The  warehouses  are  invariably  large  buildings  with  great  floor  capacity, 
and  perfectly  lighted  by  ample  skylights,  so  that  the  color  and  quality  of 
the  tobacco  are  faithfully  exposed.  The  tobacco,  taken  from  the  wagons, 
where  it  had  been  packed  down  while  in  "good  order,"  is  carefully  placed 
in  piles,  after  having  been  weighed,  each  pile  of  uniform  grade.  A  tag 
fixed  upon  a  cleft  stick  is  placed  upon  each  pile,  on  which  is  the  name  of 
the  owner  of  the  tobacco,  and  also  the  weight.  At  the  hour  of  sale,  outcry 
is  made  at  each  pile,  the  price  bid  attached  to  the  tag,  and  also  entered 
upon  a  book,  and  so  until  the  whole  is  sold.  A  planter,  dissatisfied  with 
a  bid,  is  entitled  to  "take  in"  his  tobacco.  The  compensation  of  the 
warehousemen  is  a  commission  of  from  2\  to  3  per  cent,  on  sales.  Where 
there  are  several  warehouses  in  a  market,  by  arrangement  each  one  is 
entitled  to  the  first  sale  in  turn.  In  most  of  the  markets  the  sales  are  held 
daily  except  in  the  duller  months  of  the  season. 

After  the  sales  the  buyers  are  required  to  remove  their  purchases  within 
a  certain  designated  time  in  order  that  the  floors  may  be  clear  for  another 
sale.  The  same  rules  apply  to  hogshead  or  package  tobacco  as  to  the  loose 
leaf.  The  former  are  shipments  from  other  markets ;  the  latter  is  the  form 
in  which  the  producer  brings  his  crop  to  market. 

PRIZE  HOUSES. 

No  insignificant  feature  of  a  tobacco  market  are  the  "prize  houses," 
where  tobacco  is  prepared  for  shipment  or  transfer  to  other  markets.  On 
all  the  markets  in  North  Carolina  are  standing  orders  to  be  filled  for  Canada, 
Louisville,  Cincinnati,  New  York,  Baltimore,  and  elsewhere.  These  prize 
houses  perform  the  functions  necessary  to  put  the  tobacco  in  convenient 
shape  for  transportation,  which  is  done  in  the  hogsheads  or  tierces,  in  which 
the  leaf,  selected  according  to  grade  and  most  carefully  and  systematically 
packed,  is  subjected  to  heavy  pressure  by  means  of  screws,  and  the  pack- 
ages, closely  headed  up,  are  ready  for  their  destination. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

CULTURE   AND   CURE   OF  TOBACCO. 

IN  a  matter  so  important  as  the  management  of  a  crop  of  such  magni- 
tude and  value,  the  writer  must  rely  upon  those  whose  large  and 
successful  experience  entitles  them  to  be  accepted  as  safe  guides  by  those 
who  are  venturing  upon  a  new  enterprise.  In  the  older  portions  of  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia  experience  is  old  enough  to  confirm  the  planters  in 
their  own  plans  and  systems.  In  the  newly  opened  tobacco  sections 
experience  is  what  is  wanted.  Among  the  many  excellent  treatises  there 
is  none  more  reliable  and  ample  than  that  of  Major  Robert  L.  Ragland,  of 
Halifax  County,  Va.,  a  practical  farmer  on  a  very  large  scale,  and  a  gentle- 
man of  culture  and  intelligence. 

From  Major  Ragland  is  quoted  as  follows : 

Preparation  of  Plant  Beds. 

There  are  two  modes  for  raising  plants — in  hot-bed  or  cold  frame,  or  in 
the  open  air  —  one  or  the  other  of  which  has  preference  according  to 
locality ;  the  former  being  more  practiced  north  of  forty  degrees  latitude, 
while  the  latter  is  preferred  south  of  that  line.  We  will  here  give  both,  that 
planters  may  choose. 

The  Hot  Bed. — Select  a  southern  or  southeastern  exposure,  sheltered 
on  the  north,  dig  and  shovel  out  a  space  five  by  twelve  feet,  or  any  required 
length,  to  the  depth  of  eighteen  inches.  Place  straw  to  the  depth  of  three 
or  four  inches  in  the  bottom  of  this  trench  and  cover  with  fresh  unrotted 
manure  from  the  stable  to  the  depth  of  six  or  eight  inches ;  then  cover  the 
manure  with  soil — woods-mould  is  best— five  inches  deep,  and  surround  the 
bed  with  planks  twelve  inches  wide  on  north  side  and  six  inches  wide  on 
the  south.-  These  will  make  a  frame  over  which  sections  of  canvas  covering 
should  be  placed  to  keep  the  bed  warm,  promote  growth  and  protect 
the  plants.  These  sections  may  be  made  of  frames  five  feet  long  and  three 
feet  wide,  with  common  domestic  cloth  tacked  thereon  as  a  covering,  and 
they  answer  every  purpose  as  glazed  sash,  are  cheaper  and  less  destructible, 
and  may  be  used  for  several  years  to  grow  tobacco  or  horticultural  plants. 
Once  used,  you  will  be  loth  to  do  without  them  for  the  latter  purpose.  But 
to  return.  Tobacco  seed  is  sown  on  the  bed  thus  prepared  at  the  rate  of 
two  teaspoonfuls  to  a  bed  five  by  twelve  feet.  To  sow  regularly,  mix  the 
seed  with  a  fertilizer,  ashes  or  plaster,  and  sow  in  drills  three  inches  apart. 
A  bed  twelve  feet  long  will  require  four  sections  of  canvas  covering,  which 
are  light  and  handy  and  may  be  put  on  or  off  or  adjusted  at  pleasure. 
When  the  plants  have  pretty  well  covered  the  surface  of  the  bed,  remove 


85 

the  canvas  during  the  day,  and  only  replace  them  when  there  is  danger  of 
frost,  or  to  keep  off  the  flea-bugs.  There  is  the  advantage  of  having  earlier 
plants  by  this  mode  and  perfect  security  against  the  plant-bug,  which  will 
repay  for  the  additional  cost  of  raising  at  least  a  portion  of  the  plants  needed 
for  the  crop,  by  this  safe  mode. 

Open  Air  Beds. — But  there  is  no  question  that  open  air  beds  are 
cheapest.  And,  where  this  mode  of  raising  plants  is  practicable,  it  is  greatly 
to  be  preferred  for  the  main  supply  of  plants.  It  is  a  well  established  opinion 
that  plants  raised  in  the  open  air  stand  transplanting  better  and  usually 
grow  off  quicker  than  plants  raised  in  hot-bed  or  cold  frame. 

Selection  of  Locality.—  On  the  selection  of  a  proper  locality  for  a 
plant  bed,  and  its  preparation,  largely  depends  the  timely  supply  of  strong 
healthy  plants ;  without  which  it  is  impossible  to  raise  a  crop  of  fine  grade. 
The  planter  therefore  cannot  be  too  careful  in  choosing  a  sheltered  spot, 
neither  too  wet  nor  too  dry,  as  rich  naturally  as  can  be  found,  and  located 
so  as  to  possess  different  degrees  of  moisture. 

Go  into  the  woods,  original  forest  if  possible,  and  select  a  spot  near  a 
branch  or  stream  of  water,  embracing  both  hillside  and  flat,  and  having  a 
southern  or  southeastern  exposure,  protected  by  woods  on  the  north.  Burn 
over  the  plat  intended  for  plants,  either  by  the  old  or  new  method.  The 
first  consists  in  placing  down  a  bed  of  wood  on  small  skids  three  to  four  feet 
apart  on  the  ground,  well  cleared  and  raked.  Then  fire  this  bed  of  wood, 
and  permit  it  to  remain  burning  long  enough  to  cook  the  soil  brown  for 
half  an  inch  deep.  With  hooks,  or  old  hoes  fastened  to  long  poles,  pull 
the  burning  mass  of  brands  a  distance  of  four  and  a  half  or  five  feet,  throw 
on  brush  and  wood,  and  continue  burning  and  moving  the  fire  until  the  bed 
is  burned  over.  Never  burn  when  the  land  is  wet.  It  will  require  from 
one  and  a  half  to  two  hours  to  cook  the  soil  properly. 

Or  better  still :  Rake  over  nicely  the  plat  to  be  burned,  then  place 
down  poles  from  two  to  four  inches  in  diameter,  three  and  a  half  to  four 
feet  apart,  over  the  entire  surface  to  be  burned.  Then  place  brush  thickly 
over  the  plat  and  weight  down  with  wood,  over  which  throw  leaves,  trash 
or  other  combustible  material,  and  set  the  whole  on  fire  and  burn  at  one 
operation. 

But  any  mode  of  burning  the  plat  will  suffice,  provided  that  it  is  effectually 
done.  After  the  plat  has  been  burned  and  has  cooled,  rake  off  the  large 
coals  and  brands,  but  let  the  ashes  remain,  as  they  are  essentially  a  first- 
class  manure.  Then  coulter  over  the  plat  deeply  or  break  with  grub  hoes, 
and  make  fine  the  soil  by  repeated  chopping  and  raking,  observing  not  to 
bring  the  subsoil  to  the  surface,  and  remove  all  roots  and  tufts.  Manure 
from  the  stable,  hog  pen  or  poultry  house,  or  some  reliable  commercial  fer- 
tilizer should  be  chopped  into  and  thoroughly  incorporated  with  the  soil 
while  preparing  the  bed  to  be  sown.  Experience  has  demonstrated  that  it 
is  better  to  use  both.     But  beware  of  using  manure  containing  grass  seed. 


86 

The  judgment  of  the  planter  must  guide  him  in  the  amount  of  fertilizing 
material  to  be  applied  at  this  stage ;  but  it  were  well  to  remind  him  that 
the  tobacco  plant  rarely  responds  to  homoeopathic  doses  of  plant  food,  but 
that  the  allopathic  usage  suits  it  best. 

Sow  at  the  rate  of  a  tablespoonful  on  every  fifty  square  yards  at  first 
sowing,  and  later  resow  with  a  heaping  teaspoonful  over  same  surface,  to 
secure  a  good  stand.  Injury  by  frost  or  bugs  may  require  a  third  or  fourth 
sowing.  Sow  a  little  thick  rather  than  too  thin,  to  meet  contingencies  and 
secure  a  good  stand  in  time. 

The  best  way  to  sow  the  seed  is  to  mix  them  thoroughly  with  a  fertilizer 
or  dry  ashes,  and  sow  once  regularly  over  the  bed,  reserving  seed  enough 
to  cross  sow  to  promote  regularity.  The  tobacco  seed  is  the  smallest  of  all 
farm  seeds,  and  consequently  requires  a  light  covering.  If  the  seed  are 
sown  before  the  20th  of  February,  the  best  way  is  to  firm  the  surface  of  the 
bed  by  treading  it  over  closely,  but  if  sown  later,  sweep  lightly  over  with  a 
brush  or  light  rake.  Then  run  surface  drains  through  the  bed,  with  incli- 
nation enough  to  pass  off  the  water.  To  do  this  properly  run  them  off 
four  or  five  feet  apart  with  the  foot,  then  open  with  a  narrow  grubbing-hoe 
to  the  depth  of  three  or  four  inches.  Then  trench  deeply  around  the  outside 
of  the  bed,  to  ward  off  surface  water  and  prevent  washing. 

Mulching  and  Covering. — Hog  hair  whipped  fine  and  scattered  over 
the  bed  attracts  and  retains  moisture,  protects  the  plants  from  frost  and  acts 
as  a  manure.  There  is  no  better  covering  for  a  plant- bed,  but  unfortunately 
it  is  rarely  ever  in  full  supply.  Fine  brush  should  be  placed  thickly  over 
the  bed,  or  if  not  handy,  cover  with  straw  or  chaff  free  from  grain.  A  cov- 
ering of  some  such  material  is  necessary,  or  the  young  plants  are  likely  to 
be  killed  by  frost  or  suffer  from  drought,  and  they  thrive  better  from  some 
protection. 

A  Standing  Plant-Bed. — Every  planter  ought  to  have  a  standing 
plant-bed,  which  may  be  secured  in  the  following  way  :  Some  time  in  July 
or  August  select  one  of  the  best  of  the  old  plant-beds,  and  with  hoes  shave 
down  the  green  plants  over  its  entire  surface,  and  cover  over  thickly  with 
straw  or  leaves,  then  place  green  brush  thickly  over  the  bed  and  weight 
down  with  wood.  When  the  whole  is  dry,  some  time  in  the  late  fall  or 
early  winter,  set  on  fire,  and  thus  reburn  over  the  bed.  Then  chop  and 
rake  fine,  sow  and  trench  as  when  first  prepared.  Repeat  the  same  operation 
every  year,  and  if  the  bed  is  manured  properly  it  will  improve  and  prove 
a  stand-by  for  many  years. 

Unburned  Beds. — Plants  may  be  raised  by  going  into  the  forest,  select- 
ing a  moist  rich  plat,  after  raking  off  the  leaves,  coultering  or  chopping  the 
surface  fine,  manuring  heavily  and  sowing  the  seed.  But  such  beds  rarely 
hold  out  well  if  the  season  is  dry.  They  never  "  repeat "  well  after  the  first 
"  drawing  "  like  burnt  beds  ;  which  are  more  reliable  for  a  successive  supply 
of  plants  as  the  season  advances. 


87 

Time  of  Sowing  Seed. — The  time  for  sowing  varies  with  the  latitude, 
variety  and  season.  Between  the  parallels  of  35  and  40  degrees  north, 
compassing  the  great  tobacco  belt,  beds  may  be  sown  any  time  between 
the  1st  of  January  and  20th  of  March,  and  the  sooner  the  better  for  the 
bright  grades,  which  ought  to  be  planted  early  to  mature,  ripen  and  yellow, 
preparatory  to  being  cured  early  in  the  fall,  when  more  successful  curings 
are  usually  made.  Yellow  tobacco  ought  to  be  planted  out  in  May,  but 
June  plantings  usually  do  best  in  heavy  dark  grades.  The  planter  will 
consult  his  interest  by  sowing  at  the  proper  time  to  suit  the  grade  he  desires 
to  raise. 

Plants  set  out  after  the  10th  of  July  rarely  pay  for  growing  and  handling, 
and  if  not  planted  by  that  time  it  will  be  wise  to  plant  the  hills  in  peas, 
potatoes  or  something  else. 

Hastening  the  Growth  of  Plants. — As  soon  as  the  plants  become 
"square,"  i.e.,  have  four  leaves,  you  may  begin  to  force  their  growth  if 
necessary.  Nothing  is  better  at  this  stage  of  their  growth  than  to  apply 
dry  stable  manure,  rubbed  fine  and  sowed  over  the  bed,  applying  at  the 
rate  of  five  bushels  to  every  one  hundred  square  yards.  Be  sure  to  have 
it  dry  and  fine,  and  apply  when  the  plants  are  dry.  This  is  a  favorable 
time  to  apply  a  good  fertilizer,  and  the  best  time  to  apply  it  is  during  a 
shower,  or  when  it  is  apparent  that  one  is  impending. 

Look  out  for  the  "  Flea  Bug." — If  the  "fly,"  as  it  is  called,  begins 
to  devour  the  young  plants,  apply  plaster  in  which  rags  saturated  with 
kerosene  oil  have  lain  for  a  few  hours,  covering  the  plants  with  the  plaster, 
if  necessary,  to  keep  the  little  pests  from  devouring  them.  Repeat  the 
application  after  every  rain  unless  the  flies  have  left. 

A  covering  of  green  cedar  brush  has  driven  off  the  fly  when  other  rem- 
edies failed,  and  saved  the  plants.  If  the  flies  are  numerous,  the  planter 
can  save  his  plants  only  by  vigilant  and  constant  attention.  Hard  burning, 
early  and  thick  sowing,  liberal  and  frequent  applications  of  manure,  are  the 
best  safeguards,  which  rarely  fail  to  reward  the  planter  with  an  early  and 
full  supply  of  stocky  plants,  and  with  some  left  for  his  less  provident 
neighbors. 

Selection  of  Soil,  Preparation  and  Manuring. 

The  tobacco  plant  thrives  best  in  a  deep,  mellow,  loamy  soil,  rich  or 
made  so  with  manures.  The  subsoil  ought  to  be  sufficiently  porous  to 
permit  the  water  falling  on  the  surface  to  pass  downward  readily,  and  not 
to  accumulate  to  drown  and  stagnate. 

If  old  land  is  selected,  it  ought  to  be  fallowed  deep  in  the  fall  or  early 
winter,  that  the  frosts  may  pulverize  it.  Turn  under,  if  possible,  some 
coarse  farm  manure,  for  its  decay  will  greatly  help  to  loosen  the  soil,  while 
furnishing  pabulum  for  the  crop.  As  a  coarse  manure  for  yellow  tobacco, 
nothing  is  better  than  wheat  straw  turned  under  in  the  fall  and  winter. 
The  plants  rarely  fail  to  ripen  yellow  in  color  on  land  thus  treated. 


In  the  early  spring  more  manure  may  be  applied,  but  it  is  better  that 
this  should  come  from  the  compost  heap.  Follow  the  application  of  the 
compost  with  one-horse  turning  ploughs,  crossing  the  previous  ploughing, 
turning  not  exceeding  four  or  five  inches  deep — about  half  the  depth  of 
the  first  ploughing.  Then,  just  before  it  is  time  to  plant,  run  double-shovel 
ploughs  over  the  lot,  crossing  the  previous  furrows,  and  follow  with  harrow 
or  drag,  crossing  again  to  make  thoroughly  fine.  These  repeated  plough- 
ings,  crossing  each  time  every  previous  one,  never  fail,  if  the  work  is  done 
when  the  land  is  in  proper  condition,  to  put  it  in  proper  tilth. 

Let  the  planter  remember  that  "  a  good  preparation  is  half  cultivation," 
and  not  stop  until  the  land  is  in  proper  condition. 

Having  put  the  land  in  nice  "  order,"  lay  off  the  rows  with  a  shovel 
plough  three  feet  three  inches  apart,  and  follow,  drilling  along  the  furrow 
some  reliable  tried  fertilizer  at  the  rate  of  some  one  hundred  and  fifty  to 
three  hundred  pounds  per  acre,  according  to  the  natural  strength  of  the 
soil  and  the  quantity  of  manure  previously  applied.  Then  follow  with  one- 
horse  turning  ploughs,  lapping  four  furrows  on  the  fertilized  trench,  and 
when  finished  in  this  manner  your  lot  is  ready  to  be  planted,  when  the  beds 
have  been  "  patted  "  with  hoes,  with  "  pats  "  two  feet  ten  inches  apart,  to 
mark  points  for  setting  the  plants. 

New  ground,  or  old  field  that  has  grown  up  and  been  cut  down,  will 
require  different  preparation  from  old  smooth  land.  But  on  the  former  our 
best  brights  are  raised.  Any  preparation  that  will  put  the  soil  in  fine  con- 
dition, clear  of  roots,  tufts  and  trash,  is  all  that  is  required.  Experience 
teaches  that  if  land  is  cut  down  two  or  three  years  previous  to  its  being 
prepared  for  tobacco,  it  greatly  facilitates  the  preparation  and  helps  its  fer- 
tility. Much  of  the  vegetable  material  both  in  and  upon  the  soil  rots,  the 
roots  break  easily,  and  the  soil  is  altogether  lighter  and  finer. 

While  it  is  economy  to  dispense  with  the  hand  hoe  in  making  hills  on  old 
land — the  plough  doing  all  the  work  as  it  ought,  when  it  can  be  well 
done — yet,  on  stumpy,  rooty  and  rough  land,  the  hoe  is  indispensable  in 
the  preparation  of  a  hill  as  it  should  be  made  to  receive  the  plant.  But 
before  the  hills  are  made  it  may  be  well,  unless  the  soil  is  naturally  rich, 
and  such  is  not  often  the  case  with  soils  best  adapted  to  yellow  tobacco,  to 
apply  some  fertilizing  material  to  hasten  forward  the  plants  and  mature 
them  properly  and  early.  Here  commercial  fertilizers  have  done  and  are 
doing  their  best  work.  Bulky,  coarse  manures  often  do  more  harm  than 
good  on  new  and  puffy  soils.  The  smaller  the  bulk  and  the  more  concen- 
trated the  fertilizing  elements,  the  more  readily  they  are  appropriated  and 
assimilated  by  the  plants,  if  of  the  right  material  and  in  the  most  available 
form.  Nitrogen,  phosphoric  acid,  potash,  lime  and  soda  are  most  neces- 
sary for  the  tobacco  plant,  and  a  fertilizer  which  supplies  the  relative  quan- 
tity of  each  will  never  fail  to  show  good  effects  therefrom,  if  the  rainfall  is 
sufficient  to  quicken  their  action. 


89 

Mode  of  Applying  Fertilizers. — Planters  differ  in  the  manner  of 
applying  fertilizers,  whether  in  the  hill,  drill  or  broadcast.  That  the  same 
quantity  will  go  further  and  produce  larger  results  the  first  year  for  the 
quantity  used  when  applied  in  the  hill  or  drill,  is  generally  conceded.  But 
advocates  for  broadcasting  claim  that  when  the  crop  to  which  the  fertilizer 
is  applied  is  to  be  followed  by  another  in  quick  succession — to  be  sown 
in  wheat  as  soon  as  the  tobacco  is  removed — then  broadcasting  is  best,  for 
reasons  which  seem  too  apparent  to  need  explanation. 

Having  prepared  the  land  for  hilling,  apply  the  fertilizer  by  whichever 
mode  the  planter  prefers,  and  in  such  quantity  as  the  natural  strength  of 
the  soil  indicates,  laying  off  the  rows  three  feet  three  inches  apart,  and  make 
the  hills  about  two  feet  ten  inches  distant  from  centre  to  centre.  Mark  the 
measure  on  the  hoe  handle,  and  require  the  hillers  to  apply  it  frequently  as 
a  guide.  The  rows  should  be  wider  apart  than  the  hills,  to  afford  proper 
cultivation  without  breaking  and  bruising  the  plants  at  the  final  ploughing, 
a  matter  of  no  small  importance,  as  the  least  blemish  on  a  fine  leaf  nearly 
destroys  its  value  as  a  wrapper. 

Planting. — Having  prepared  the  hills,  you  are  ready  to  plant  any  time 
after  the  first  of  May.  Planting  is  often  most  effectually  done  when  the 
hills  are  being  made  in  May,  and  .the  land  is  moist  with  the  winter's  sap, 
by  planting  in  the  afternoon  the  hills  made  the  same  day.  If  properly 
planted,  very  few  of  the  plants  will  fail  to  live.  Observe  to  draw  the 
plants  one  by  one  from  the  bed,  and  handle  so  as  not  to  bruise  them.  It 
is  a  wa^te  of  time  and  plants  to  set  out  very  small  plants,  but  wait  until 
they  are  of  proper  size — the  largest  leaves  about  two  and  a  half  to  three 
inches  wide.  Put  a  basket  of  plants  in  the  hands  of  a  boy  or  girl,  who 
drops  a  plant  on  each  hill,  dropping  in  one  or  two  rows  according  to  age 
or  expertness.  The  men  follow,  with  each  a  planting  peg  made  of  hard 
wood,  six  inches  long,  one  and  a  quarter  inch  in  diameter  at  large  end,  and 
tapering  to  a  point.  Each  planter  takes  a  "  hand-plant "  to  start  with  (unless 
the  dropper  has  learned  to  drop  two  plants  on  the  first  hill),  and  pushing 
his  planting  peg  some  two  inches  into  the  hill,  withdraws  the  peg,  inserts  the 
plant,  and  by  a  dexterous  movement  of  the  peg  and  the  knuckles  of  the  left 
hand,  closes  the  dirt  gently  but  compactly  around  the  roots.  He  then  picks 
up  the  plant  on  the  hill  as  he  moves  forward,  and  by  the  time  he  reaches 
the  next  hill  has  adjusted  the  plant  in  his  hand  to  insert  into  the  hole  in  the 
next  hill.  Thus  the  "  hand-plant"  facilitates  the  work.  Try  it  and  you  wfll 
be  convinced.  There  is  art  in  planting  properly,  as  is  shown  in  the  increased 
number  of  living  monuments  that  test  superior  work.  But  why  enter  into 
such  minute  details  ?  say  some.  That  you  may  start  right,  shun  the  errors 
of  inexperience,  and  practice  at  the  start  the  best  methods  as  demonstrated 
by  successful  practice. 

If  the  soil  is  dry  when  the  hills  are  made,  then  it  will  require  a  "season  " 
for  planting.     The  best  come  with  showers.     It  is  not  well  to  plant  soon 


90 

after  a  soaking  rain,  but  wait  until  the  land  settles.  If  the  plants  are  good, 
seasons  favorable,  and  the  planting  well  done,  very  few  will  die,  if  trans- 
planted before  the  ioth  of  July.  After  that  time  all  is  uncertainty.  Hence 
the  importance  of  getting  a  stand  before  that  time. 

After  planting  over,  it  will  be  necessary  to  replant  from  time  to  time  as 
seasons  occur,  embracing  every  opportunity  to  fill  up  the  missing  hills.  If 
cut-worms  are  troublesome,  hunt  for  and  destroy  every  one  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, for  it  is  useless  to  put  a  plant  in  a  hill  where  one  of  these  pests  has 
taken  up  quarters,  and  expect  it  to  live  and  grow. 

Cultivating. — It  is  important  to  commence  cultivation  soon  after 
planting,  to  loosen  the  soil  and  start  the  plants  growing.  Just  at  this  point 
many  planters  fail  to  do  their  duty,  which  no  subsequent  work  can  atone 
for.  Early,  rapid  and  thorough  cultivation  is  necessary  to  produce  first- 
class  goods.  If  the  preparation  has  been  thorough,  thrice  ploughing,  fol- 
lowed each  time  with  the  hand  hoe,  will  suffice  for  the  crop. 

For  the  first  ploughing,  no  implement  is  better  than  the  wing  coulter,  the 
next  best  the  cultivator.  The  second  ploughing  may  be  effectually  done 
with  the  turning  plough  or  cultivator ;  if  grassy,  use  the  first.  The  last 
ploughing  is  most  effectually  done  with  three  furrows  with  the  single  shovel 
— a  furrow  on  each  side,  then  splitting  the  middle  with  the  third  and  last 
furrow. 

Never  "  scrape  down"  tobacco  with  the  hoe  without  putting  back  on  hill 
or  bed  as  much  dirt  as  is  scraped  down.  This  will  prevent  baking,  and 
save  many  plants,  should  a  dry  spell  follow  the  hand  hoe  working. 

Any  process  which  stirs  the  soil  effectually  and  often  and  keeps  the 
plants  free  from  grass  and  weeds,  will  constitute  good  cultivation,  no  matter 
how  or  with  what  implement  done.  Old  land  will  require  more  work  in 
cultivation  than  new,  and  dark  grades  more  than  bright.  Short  singletrees 
should  be  used  after  the  plants  are  half  grown,  to  prevent  tearing  and 
breaking  the  leaves. 

The  yellow  grades  should  be  cleared  of  grass  and  weeds  before  the  first 
of  August,  and  not  ploughed  thereafter ;  but  the  hoes  may  be  used  at  any 
time  to  clear  out  the  crop  till  the  leaves  commence  graining.  The  longer 
tobacco  is  ploughed  the  later  the  plants  will  be  in  ripening,  therefore  the 
importance  of  giving  early  and  thorough  cultivation.  Any  one  who  can 
raise  good  cabbage  ought  to  know  how  to  cultivate  tobacco,  as  the  cultiva- 
tion is  very  similar. 

Priming  and  Topping. 

Under  this  head  there  is  a  wide  difference  of  opinion.  Breaking  off  the 
small  and  inferior  leaves  of  the  plant  near  the  ground  is  called  "priming," 
which  operation  is  done  along  with  the  "  topping,"  if  done  at  all.  There 
are  advantages  for  and  against  priming,  but  all  resort  to  topping — plucking 
out  the  seed  bud  and  adjacent  small  leaves  with  the  thumb  and  finger. 


91 

Some  contend  that  pulling  off  the  lower  leaves  saps  the  plants  and  retards 
growth,  if  the  weather  is  dry.  That  permitting  the  lower  leaves  to  remain 
on  the  stalk  protects  the  upper  ones  from  sand  and  grit,  makes  them  cleaner 
and  therefore  more  salable.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  contended  by  some 
that  by  pulling  off  the  lower  leaves,  which  are  generally  useless,  the  remain- 
ing leaves  receive  more  nutriment  and  contain  more  wax,  oil  and  gum. 
That  the  lower  leaves  harbor  worms  and  make  the  worming  process  more 
tedious. 

It  is  best  to  wait  until  a  considerable  number  of  plants  begin  to  button 
for  seed  before  commencing  to  top.  Topping  should  be  the  work  of  expe- 
rienced and  trusty  hands — men  who  can  top,  leaving  any  required  number 
of  leaves  on  a  plant  without  counting.  The  secret  of  this — no  longer  a 
secret  to  the  initiated — is,  that  the  topper  soon  learns  to  know  that  count- 
ing the  bottom  leaf  and  the  leaf  that  hangs  over  it  in  the  third  tier  going 
upward,  makes  nine  leaves,  including  both  top  and  bottom  leaves.  Fixing 
this  in  his  mind  the  topper  has  only  to  add  to  or  deduct  from  this  index 
leaj  marking  nine,  to  leave  any  desired  number  of  leaves  on  each  plant 
with  certainty  and  without  counting.  Young  man,  if  you  don't  know  how, 
get  some  old  negro  to  show  you.  Topping  you  will  find  is  a  slow  business 
if  you  have  to  count  the  leaves  on  all  the  plants  topped.  If  the  plants  are 
not  "primed"  then  the  "  bottom  "  leaf  must  be  fixed  by  the  eye,  looking 
upward  for  the  leaf  in  third  tier  which  hangs  over  it  to  catch  the  cue  as 
before.  If  priming  is  done,  don't  err  in  pulling  off  too  many  leaves.  No 
regular  rule  can  be  given,  so  the  planter  must  judge  for  himself.  The 
reason  given  for  waiting  until  many  plants  are  ready  to  be  topped  is  mainly 
that  more  plants  may  ripen  together  and  be  ready  for  the  knife  at  the  same 
time.  This  is  an  advantage  that  applies  with  strong  force  to  all  tobacco 
intended  for  flue  curing. 

The  number  of  leaves  to  be  left  on  each  plant  varies  according  to  the 
time  the  work  is  done,  early  or  late,  the  appearance  and  prospective  devel- 
opment of  the  plant,  the  season,  whether  propitious  or  unfavorable, 
strength  of  the  soil  and  amount  of  fertilizing  material  applied.  On 
medium  soils,  in  ordinary  seasons,  the  first  topping  should  be  from  ten  to 
thirteen  leaves — rarely  more — for  brights.  For  sweet  fillers  from  nine  to 
ten,  and  for  dark  rich  shipping  from  eight  to  nine  leaves  are  enough. 
As  the  season  advances  reduce  the  number  of  leaves  accordingly  ;  remem- 
bering that  quality  more  than  quantity  regulates  returns. 

Worming  and  Suckering. 

Many  devices  have  been  resorted  to  in  order  to  lessen  the  number  and 
mitigate  the  ravages  of  the  horn-worm,  but  the  lack  of  general  and  con- 
tinued efforts  from  year  to  year  has  brought  only  partial  relief.  Some 
years  they  come  in  great  numbers,  and  despite  the  best  efforts  of  the 
planter,  seriously  damage  his  crop.     Perhaps  the  next  year  they  are  few 


92 

and  give  him  no  trouble.  It  is  the  nature  of  this  insect  to  raise  at  least  two 
broods  during  the  year.  The  hawk-moth  or  tobacco  fly  usually  makes  its 
appearance  in  Virginia  in  the  month  of  May.  The  eggs,  deposited  by  the 
first  moths,  hatch  out  in  from  five  to  seven  days,  larvae  or  worms.  The 
worm  sheds  its  outer  skin  twice  before  it  gets  its  growth.  The  growing 
stage  of  the  worm  lasts  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  days,  and  after  it  has 
attained  its  growth,  it  gorges  itself  a  few  days  longer,  and  then  crawls  or 
burrows  into  the  ground,  where  it  soon  passes  into  the  pupa  state  ;  and 
after  some  twenty*three  or  twenty-five  days  from  the  time  of  its  crawling 
into  the  ground  the  pupa  sends  forth  a  moth  to  lay  more  eggs  and  hatch 
out  more  worms.  Each  moth  is  capable  of  laying  on  an  average  two  hun- 
dred eggs.  So  that  for  every  moth  in  May  we  may  reasonably  expect  at 
least  one  hundred  worms  of  the  first  brood ;  and  if  none  of  these  are 
destroyed  but  all  allowed  to  change  to  moths  and  these  latter  to  raise  a 
horde  of  worms,  what  wonder  that  the  second  brood  sometimes  appears  in 
such  countless  numbers  as  to  defy  all  efforts  to  destroy  them  before  they 
have  ruined  the  crop.  Every  moth  ought  to  be  destroyed  as  they  appear; 
and  this  may  be  done  to  great  extent  by  injecting  a  few  drops  of  sweetened 
Cobalt  into  the  flowers  of  the  Petunia,  Honey-Suckle  or  Jamestown  (Jimp- 
son)  weed,  which  will  give  them  their  final  quietus.  But  this  hunt  for  the 
moth  is  not  general,  and  if  it  were  some  would  escape.  But  if  every 
planter  would  wage  a  war  of  extermination  on  the  first  brood  of  worms — 
unfortunately  a  thing  rarely  done— they  would  never  appear  in  such  uncon- 
querable hordes  later  in  the  season.  The  suckers  should  be  pulled  off 
every  week  as  they  appear,  and  ought  never  to  be  permitted  to  get  over 
two  inches  long  ;  for  if  permitted  to  grow  large  they  abstract  much  that 
would  otherwise  go  to  perfect  a  rich,  silky  leaf.  No  planter  need  expect  a 
crop  of  fine  grade  who  does  not  pull  off  the  suckers  while  small,  and  pre- 
vent the  horn  worms  from  riddling  the  leaves. 

Cutting  and  Housing. 

Do  not  be  in  a  hurry  to  begin  cutting  your  tobacco  until  it  is  ripe,  and 
enough  fully  and  uniformly  ripe  to  fill  a  barn.  A  thin  butcher  or  shoe 
knife,  well  sharpened,  and  wrapt  with  a  soft  cloth  around  the  handle  and 
extending  an  inch  along  the  blade,  will  do  the  work  effectually  and  be  easy 
to  the  hand.  Try  it.  Put  knives  into  the  hands  of  experienced  cutters 
only — men  who  know  ripe  tobacco,  and  will  select  plants  uniform  in  color 
and  texture,  and  will  cut  no  other.  Have  your  sticks  all  ready  in  the  field, 
and  placed  in  piles  convenient  -  sticking  a  stick  vertically  in  the  ground  over 
each  pile  that  they  may  be  more  easily  found  when  wanted.  Pine  sticks, 
rived  three-fourths  of  an  inch  by  one  and  one-fourth  inch,  and  four  and 
one-half  feet  long,  drawn  smooth,  are  best. 

Start  together  two  cutters  and  one  stick-holder, —the  cutters  carrying 
two  rows  each  and  the  stick-holder  walking  between  them.     The  cutter 


93 

takes  hold  of  the  plant  with  his  left  hand  at  the  top  near  where  the  knife 
enters  the  stalk  ;  with  his  right  he  splits  the  stalk  down  the  centre  (observ- 
ing to  guide  the  knife  so  as  not  to  sever  the  leaves,)  to  within  three  inches 
of  the  point  he  intends  to  sever  the  stalk  from  the  hill ;  and  as-the  knife 
descends,  his  left  hand  follows  the  slit  or  opening,  and  when  the  plant  is 
severed  from  the  hill,  by  a  dexterous  movement  of  the  left  hand  the  plant 
is  straddled  across  the  stick  in  the  hands  of  the  holder.  When  the  stick 
has  received  about  six  medium  plants,  if  intended  for  brights,  it  is  ready 
to  go  to  the  barn,  either  carried  by  hand  if  near,  or  hauled  on  a  wagon  if 
distant.  If  it  is  necessary  to  use  the  wagon,  prepare  a  bed  sixteen  feet 
long  to  hold  three  coops  or  piles,  on  which  place  the  tobacco  as  cut,  and 
after  placing  twenty-five  or  thirty  sticks  of  cut  tobacco  on  each  coop,  drive 
to  the  barn  to  be  unloaded. 

Tobacco  suitable  for  brights  is  best  handled  in  this  way,  as  it  is  bruised 
less  than  if  handled  by  any  other  mode.  Try  it,  planters ;  and  know  for 
yourselves.  Very  heavy  tobacco  will  break  less  if,  after  being  cut  by  the 
above  mode,  the  sticks  are  placed  gently  on  the  ground  and  the  plants 
allowed  to  wilt  before  being  removed  to  the  barn.  But  tobacco  of  medium 
size  bruises  less  to  handle  it  without  wilting.  Cutting  and  housing  by  this 
mode,  you  never  have  any  sun-burned  tobacco.  For  brights,  it  has  been 
found  best  to  commence  curing  at  once,  as  soon  as  the  barn  can  be  filled. 

Curing  "Bright  Yellow." 

There  are  two  modes  for  curing  yellow  tobacco  :  one  with  charcoal  and 
the  other  with  flues.  The  first  is  the  primitive  mode,  but  is  gradually 
giving  place  to  the  latter,  which  is  cheaper  and  more  efficient,  and  is  being 
adopted  by  most  of  our  best  planters.  The  chief  agent  in  either  mode  is 
heat — a  dry,  "curing  heat — to  expel  the  sap  from  the  leaves,  stems  and 
stalks  of  the  plants,  and  catch  the  color,  yellow,  next  to  Nature's  color, 
green,  and  to  fix  it  indelibly.  This  is  the  science  of  curing  yellow  tobacco. 
There  are  seven  prismatic  colors — that  of  tobacco  occupying  the  middle  of 
the  prism.  By  the  process  of  nature,  leaves  in  drying  descend  in  color 
from  green,  first  to  yellow,  then  orange,  then  red,  and  finally  lose  all  color 
as  they  go  to  decay.  Now  a  quick  dry  heat,  so  regulated  as  to  dry  out  the 
leaf  and  catch  the  yellow  and  fix  it,  is  the  modus  operandi  of  curing  fancy 
tobacco. 

A  barn  containing  seven  hundred  sticks  of  green  tobacco,  six  medium 
plants  on  each  stick,  holds  along  with  the  tobacco  four  thousand  five  hun- 
dred to  five  thousand  pounds  of  water,  which  must  be  expelled  in  from 
eighty-five  to  one  hundred  hours. 

Charcoal  produces  an  open,  dry  heat,  well  suited  for  the  purpose ;  but 
its  preparation  is  costly,  its  use  tedious,  dirty  and  laborious,  and  it  deposits 
a  black  dust  on  the  leaf  that  is  objectionable.  With  flues  constructed  of 
stone  or  brick,  and  covered  with  sheet  iron,  or  patent  ones  with  furnace  and 


94 

pipes,  the  wood  is  burned  as  cut  in  the  forest  or  old  field,  and  the  whole 
process  of  curing  is  less  costly  and  less  laborious,  and  the  tobacco  cured 
therewith  free  from  dust,  and  has  a  sweeter  flavor.  The  flue  process  pos- 
sesses so  many  advantages  over  all  other  modes  of  curing  tobacco,  is  so 
safe,  if  properly  constructed,  and  free  from  smoke,  that  when  its  merits 
become  better  known  it  will  come  into  general  use  and  supersede  all  other 
modes. 

The  first  step  in  curing  is  called  the  steaming  or  yellowing  process. 
Medium  tobacco  will  require  from  twenty-four  to  thirty  hours  steaming  at 
about  ninety  degrees  to  yellow  sufficiently ;  but  tobacco  with  more  or  less 
sap,  larger  or  smaller,  will  require  a  longer  or  shorter  time  to  yellow. 
Here  the  judgment  of  the  curer  must  be  his  guide.  Inexperienced  planters 
would  do  well  to  procure  the  services  of  an  expert  curer,  if  they  have 
tobacco  suitable  for  fine  yellow.  The  planter  saves  in  the  enhanced  value 
of  his  crop  many  times  the  money  paid  to  the  curer,  and  besides,  by  close 
attention,  he  may  learn  in  one  season  to  cure  well  himself.  Theory  alone, 
however  good,  and  directions,  however  minute,  will  not  do  here,  but  it  is 
practice  that  must  qualify  one  to.  cure  well. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  no  two  plants  are  exactly  alike,  no  two  barns 
precisely  similar  in  every  particular,  and  that  the  weather  may  change 
every  hour,  is  it  reasonable  that  a  fixed  programme  can  be  followed  for 
every  curing  with  any  reasonable  hope  of  success  ?  The  experienced 
know  better.     On  work  so  variable,  only  general  directions  can  be  given. 

The  next  step  is  called  fixing  the  color.  When  the  tobacco  is  suffi- 
ciently yellowed,  the  best  leaves  of  a  uniform  yellow,  and  the  greener  ones 
of  a  light  pea-green  color,  it  is  time  to  advance  the  heat  to  one  hundred 
degrees  ;  observing  the  leaves  closely  to  detect  sweating,  which  will  soon 
redden  and  spoil  the  color,  unless  driven  off.  To  do  this,  open  the  door 
and  let  it  stand  open,  and  if  after  an  hour  or  more  the  sweat  has  not  disap- 
peared, open  a  space  between  the  logs  on  opposite  sides  of  the  barn  to  let 
in  more  air,  and  permit  it  to  remain  open  until  the  tobacco  has  dried  off  all 
appearance  of  the  sweat.  Right  at  this  point  more  curings  are  spoiled 
than  at  any  other  stage  of  the  process.  It  may  be  well  to  remember  what 
is  a  fact,  that  at  least  five  curings  are  spoiled  by  proceeding  too  fast,  to  one 
failure  from  going  too  slow.     Now  stick  a  pin  here. 

But  to  go  back  to  the  barn  where  we  have  just  dried  the  leaf,  and  where 
the  thermometer  indicates  a  fall  of  five  to  ten  degrees — but  this  need  not 
concern  the  curer  to  put  him  out  of  hope,  for  a  little  cooling  under,  the  cir- 
cumstances was  necessary — we  close  up  the  opening  and  raise  the  heat  to 
one  hundred  degrees.  But  a  skillful  curer  detects  the  first  indications  of 
sweat  and  prevents  it  by  regulating  the  heat. 

Keep  the  heat  at  one  hundred  degrees  for  four  hours,  and  then  advance 
two  and  a  half  degrees  every  two  hours  until  one  hundred  and  ten  degrees 
are  reached.     Here  you  have  reached  the  most  critical  point  in  the  difficult 


95 

process  of  curing  bright  tobacco.  The  condition  and  appearance  of  the 
tobacco  must  now  be  the  curer's  guide.  No  one  can  successfully  cure 
tobacco  until  he  can  distinguish  the  effects  of  too  much  or  too  little  heat 
in  the  appearance  of  the  leaf.  Too  little  heat,  in  fixing  the  color,  operates 
to  stain  the  face  side  of  the  leaf  a  dull  brown  Qolor,  and  is  called  "  spong- 
ing," and  may  be  known  to  the  novice  by  its  appearance  only  on  the.  face 
side  of  the  leaf.  Too  much  heat  reddens  the  leaf,  first  around  the  edge 
and  then  in  spots,  which  are  visible  on  both  sides.  Now,  to  prevent  spong- 
ing on  the  one  hand  and  spotting  on  the  other,  is  the  aim  of  the  experi- 
enced curer.  No  definite  time  can  be  laid  down  to  run  from  one  hundred 
and  ten  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  degrees.  Sometimes  four  hours  will 
suffice,  then  again  eight  hours  is  fast  enough.  While  it  is  usual  at  this 
stage  to  advance  about  five  degrees  every  two  hours  for  medium  tobacco, 
the  condition  of  the  tobacco  often  indicates  to  the  practised  eye  the  neces- 
sity for  slower  or  faster  movement.  But  it  is  safe  not  to  advance  above  one 
hundred  and  ten  degrees  until  the  tails  begin  to  curl  up  at  the  ends. 
Arrived  at  one  hundred  and  twenty  or  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
degrees,  this  is  the  curing  process.  The  heat  should  remain  at  or  near 
these  figures  until  the  leaf  is  cured,  which  will  require  from  six  to  eight 
hours,  according  to  the  amount  of  sap  in  the  leaf  to  be  expelled.  When 
the  leaf  appears  to  be  cured,  advance  five  degrees  every  hour  up  to  one 
hundred  and  seventy  degrees  and  remain  until  stalk  and  stem  are  tho- 
roughly cured.  To  run  above  one  hundred  and  eighty  degrees  is  to 
endanger  scorching  the  tobacco,  and  perhaps  burning  barn  and  tobacco. 

To  recapitulate : 

First.  Yellow  process,  90  degrees,  from  24  to  30  hours. 

Second.  Fixing  Color,  100  degrees,  4  hours. 

"  "         "  100  to  no,  2?  degrees  every  2  hours. 

"  "         "  no  to  120,  4  to  8  hours. 

Third.  Curing  the  leaf,  120  or  125,  6  to  8  hours. 

Fourth.  Curing  stalk  and  stem,  125  to  170,  5  degrees  an  hour.  And 
continue  at  one  hundred  and  seventy  degrees  until  stalk  and  stem  are 
thoroughly  killed  and  dry,  which  usually  requires  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
hours. 

After  curing,  as  soon  as  the  tobacco  is  sufficiently  soft  to  move,  you  may 
run  it  up  in  the  roof  of  the  barn  and  crowd  it  close,  or  if  the  barn  is  needed 
for  other  curings,  the  tobacco  may  be  carried  to  the  storage  barn  or  bulked 
down  in  any  dry  house  on  the  premises.  But  be  sure  that  nothing  is 
bulked  with  green  stalks  or  swelled  stems,  for  if  such  are  placed  down  in 
bulk  it  will  be  sure  to  heat  and  utterly  ruin. 

Ordering. 

If,  after  the  tobacco  is  cured,  the  weather  remains  dry  and  it  fails  to  get 
soft  readily,  so  that  it  can  be  moved,  it  may  be  brought  in  order  in  the 


96 

following  way :  Place  green  bushes  with  the  leaves  on  over  the  floor  and 
sprinkle  water  over  them  copiously;  if  the  tobacco  is  very  dry  and  the 
atmosphere  contains  but  little  moisture,  and  if  the  weather  is  cool,  a  little 
fire  kindled  in  the  flues  will  assist  in  making  the  tobacco  soft.  Straw  wet 
or  made  so  will  answer  the  same  purpose.  If  the  weather  is  damp  there 
will  be  no  necessity  to  use  either  straw,  brush  or  water.  But  when  it  is 
necessary  to  use  any  means  to  order  tobacco,  it  is  best  to  apply  them  in 
the  afternoon,  that  the  tobacco  may  be  removed  the  next  morning. 

If  the  weather  remains  warm  and  damp  or  rainy,  tobacco  that  remains 
hanging  will  be  apt  to  change  color  unless  dried  out  by  flues  or  charcoal. 
When  this  becomes  necessary,  build  small  fires  at  first  and  raise  the  heat 
gradually. 

Stripping. 

Tobacco  should  never  be  stripped  from  the  stalks  except  in  pliable  order, 
and  the  leaves  on  every  plant  should  be  carefully  assorted  and  every  grade 
tied  up  separately.  Usually  there  will  be  three  grades  of  leaf,  assorted 
with  reference  to  color  and  size,  and  two  of  lugs.  Of  leaf  tie  six  to  eight 
leaves  in  the  bundle,  and  of  lugs  eight  to  ten.  As  fast  as  you  strip  either, 
hang  the  "  hands  "  on  sticks — twenty-five  to  each  stick — and  hang  up  or 
bulk  downln  two  layers,  the  heads  of  hands  or  bundles  facing  outward. 
The  latter  mode  is  best  if  you  intend  to  sell  in  winter  order,  loose  on  the 
warehouse  floors.  If  bulked  down,  watch  frequently  to  see  that  it  does 
not  heat.  If  the  bulk  becomes  warm  it  must  be  broken  up,  aired  and 
rebulked,  or  hung  up  if  too  soft.  It  is  safer  always  to  hang  up  as  soon  as 
stripped,  unless  you  design  to  sell  soon,  and  strike  down  in  "  safe  keeping 
order"  in  spring  or  summer.  It  is  considered  in  "safe  order"  when  the 
leaf  is  pliable  and  the  stem  will  crack  half  way  down  from  the  tie. 

Packing. 

If  you  sell  loose,  deliver  in  large  uniform  piles ;  such  will  cost  less  and 
your  tobacco  bring  more  in  price.  But  to  sell  in  a  distant  market  pack  in 
tierces — half  hogsheads  make  the  best  and  cheapest — to  weigh  about  four 
hundred  pounds  net,  taking  care  not  to  press  the  tobacco  so  as  to  bruise  it 
or  pack  it  too  closely  together.  The  best  leaf  is  wanted  for  wrappers,  and 
it  must  open  easily  when  shaken  in  the  hand.  Pack  one  grade  only  in  each 
tierce,  uniform  in  color  and  length ;  but  if  it  becomes  necessary  to  put  more 
than  one  grade  in  a  tierce,  place  strips  of  paper  or  straw  between  to  mark 
and  separate  them.     Pack  honestly,  for  honesty  is  always  the  best  policy. 

If  your  tobacco  is  fine,  sound  and  nicely  handled,  you'll  have  the  satis- 
faction of  getting  at  the  least  a  remunerating  price  for  it,  although  poor 
and  nondescript  stock  may  be  selling  for  less  than  the  cost  of  production. 
The  world  is  now  full  of  low  grades  of  tobacco.  We  must  plant  less  sur- 
face, manure  heavier,  and  cultivate  and^  manage  better,  if  we  would  get 
better  prices. 


97 

Construction  of  Barn  with  Furnace  and  Flue.* 

The  site  selected  for  the  barn  should,  when  practicable,  be  ground  that 
slopes  to  the  east  with  an  inclination  of  two  feet  in  twenty,  in  order  to  admit 
the  furnaces  readily,  which  should  always  be  placed  in  the  eastern  side  of 
the  barn,  for  the  reason  that  during  the  curing  season  the  prevailing  winds 
are  from  the  west.  When  there  are  more  barns  than  one,  they  should,  for 
the  convenience  of  moving  and  storing  the  tobacco  after  it  is  cured,  be 
grouped  together,  but  not  nearer  to  each  other  than  ioo  feet. 

The  dimensions  of  the  barn  is  next  to  be  determined.  I  am  aware  that 
the  size  approved  by  the  majority  of  fine  curers  is  only  sixteen  feet  square, 
divided  by  tier-poles  into  four  equal  compartments  or  rooms,  each  room 
having  perpendicularly  only  four  firing  tiers  in  the  body  including  the  joists. 
Another  convenient  size,  although  not  so  generally  approved,  is  one  twenty 
feet  square,  similarly  divided  into  five  rooms  with  five  firing  tiers  to  each. 
The  comparative  housing  capacity  of  the  two  is  about  as  four  is  to  seven, 
the  smaller  barn  holding  352  sticks  and  the  larger  650  sticks,  when  placed 
one  foot  apart.  Between  them  the  reader  is  left  to  his  own  choice,  while  in 
point  of  economy  I  must  decide  in  favor  of  the  larger  size,  it  being  obvious 
that  the  size  of  the  barn  can  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  success  of  a  cure, 
provided  always  that  the  capacity  of  the  furnace  and  flue  is  in  proportion  to 
the  size  of  the  barn,  which  in  one  twenty  feet  square  is  easily  attainable. 

The  body  of  the  barn  should  be  always  of  logs  of  an  average  thickness 
of  six  inches,  notched  down  closely,  the  ground  sills  being  much  larger  and 
invariably  of  oak  and  well  underpinned.  The  roof  should  be  framed  and 
what  is  called  square,  and  covered  with  shingles  or  two  foot  boards,  the 
board  roof  being  preferable  if  the  barn  is  one  for  curing  only,  while  the 
shingle  roof  is  to  be  preferred  if  it  is  one  for  storing  as  well  as  curing.  The 
gables  should  be  tightly  weather-boarded,  each  having  a  small  window  with 
shutters  just  below  its  centre,  together  with  a  small  opening  at  its  upper 
angle,  which  serve  as  escapes  for  the  heated  vapor. 

When  the  barn  has  been  raised  a  height  of  five  feet,  a  set  of  six  tier-poles 
should  be  laid  on  horizontally,  resting  upon  the  northern  and  southern 
walls  of  the  barn,  and  dividing  it  accurately  into  five  equal  parts,  the  two 
outside  ones  resting  against  its  eastern  and  western  walls.  This  first  set  are 
called  the  ground  tiers,  and  are  not  used  in  curing  but  only  in  unloading 
and  hoisting  the  tobacco.  These,  like  all  the  other  tier-poles  to  be  used, 
had  best  be  of  pine,  and  of  an  average  thickness  of  four  inches,  to  prevent 
their  springing  and  sagging  while  the  barn  is  being  filled.  As  fast  as  three 
additional  logs  to  each  wall  have  been  raised,  another  set  of  six  tier-poles 
should  be  laid  on  as  before,  and  directly  above  the  first,  and  so  on  until  the 
sixth  set  have  been  laid  on,  which  serve  also  for  the  joists.  Directly  above 
and  in  line  with  these  joists,  rafters  should  be  placed  when  the  roof  is  being 

*  R.  B.  Davis,  Catawba  Co.,  N.  C. 


98 

framed,  upon  which  collar-beams  are  to  be  nailed  two  and  a  half  feet  above 
each  other,  which  also  serve  for  tier-poles,  thus  adding  about  one  and  a 
half  full  tiers  to  each  room.  When  completed,  the  walls  should  contain 
about  twenty  logs  each,  including  plates,  and  be  about  sixteen  feet  high. 
And  after  they  have  been  roofed  they  should  be  tightly  chinked  and  daubed 
with  mud,  inside  and  out,  into  which  a  sufficient  quantity  of  lime,  when 
convenient,  should  have  been  worked  to  make  it  adhere  well,  the  mud  being 
laid  in  with  a  trowel.  The  object  is  to  have  the  walls  practically  air-tight, 
whatever  fresh  air  that  may  be  needed  in  curing  being  admitted  from  below. 
In  the  northern  and  southern  walls  of  the  barn,  and  at  their  centres,  closely 
fitting  doors  four  feet  square  should  be  cut. 

Framed  buildings,  although  ceiled,  will  not  answer  for  curing  for  the 
reason  that  they  cannot  be  heated  sufficiently. 

The  directions  which  remain  to  be  added  have  reference  to  flue-curing, 
as  contradistinguished  from  coal-curing,  the  latter  having  pretty  well  gone 
out  of  use,  because  of  its  greater  cost  and  discomfort  to  the  curer,  as  well  as 
the  inferior  quality  of  the  work  done  by  that  process,  the  flavor  and  color 
of  the  coal-cured  leaf  being  invariably  injured  by  the  soot  of  the  burning 
charcoal. 

And  the  flue  to  which  I  have  reference  is  the  well  known  Smith  patent, 
which  is  constructed  on  the  principle  of  the  return  draft,  and  with  the  model 
of  which  most  tinners  are  familiar.  It  communicates  with  two  furnaces 
built  in  the  corners  of  the  barn,  by  pipes  laid  along  three  of  its  walls,  and 
one  foot  from  them,  and  uniting  in  a  single  return  pipe  through  its  centre. 
The  piping  should  be  gently  and  uniformally  elevated,  say  6  inches  in  20 
feet,  so  that  there  shall  not  be  more  than  eighteen  inches  perpendicular 
between  the  points  where  it  leaves  the  furnaces  and  where  it  comes  out 
through  the  wall  of  the  barn.  If  greater  elevation  is  given,  the  draft  will  be 
increased,  but  at  the  expense  of  too  much  heat,  which  will  be  wasted  through 
the  smoke-stack,  which  is  a  short  elbow  joint  fitted  on  the  outer  end  of  the 
return  pipe. 

For  a  barn  of  the  given  dimensions,  the  piping  should  be  of  No.  24  iron 
(except  the  two  joints  which  enter  the  furnaces,  and  which  should  be  of  No. 
18,)  and  not  less  than  12  inches  in  diameter,  15  inches  being  still  better — 
the  one  I  use  is  13  inches.  Such  a  flue  is  portable  and  easily  carried  from 
one  barn  to  another. 

There  are  other  flues  of  later  invention  which  claim  to  be  superior  to  the 
Smith — of  them  I  know  nothing  except  that  in  such  things  the  latest  is 
commonly  the  best. 

The  construction  of  the  furnaces  remains  to  be  noticed.  If  the  ground 
plot  is  properly  inclined  it  will  be  necessary  to  remove  only  a  single  log  in 
order  to  admit  them,  which  should  be  done  by  sawing  it  out  4  inches  from 
the  corners.  The  furnaces  should  be  of  brick  or  fireproof  stone,  5  feet 
long,  and  project  18  inches  outside  the  barn.     Their  walls  should  be  a 


99 

thickness  of  2  bricks,  and  built  2  feet  apart  and  18  inches  high,  and  arched 
over  with  the  thickness  of  a  single  brick.  Their  outside  walls  should  be 
laid  4  inches  from  the  walls  of  the  barn,  the  intervening  spaces  being  filled 
with  dry  earth,  while  the  space  between  the  furnaces  should  be  under- 
pinned to  the  first  log.  Care  should  be  taken  that  no  part  of  the  furnace 
comes  in  contact  with  the  wood  of  the  barn,  and  for  that  reason,  as  well  as 
to  moderate  the  heat  with  fresh  air,  small  openings  should  be  left  just 
above  the  arches.  The  inside  ends  or  throats  of  the  furnaces  should  be 
sloped  or  slightly  drawn  together  in  order  to  give  a  good  fit  to  the  pipes, 
which  should  be  inserted  some  6  inches  above  their  floors,  after  which  all 
cracks  should  be  closed  with  soft  mud. 

With  the  view  of  giving  the  flue  its  greatest  heating  capacity,  I  have 
directed  that  the  pipes  should  be  laid  only  1  foot  from  the  walls  of  the 
barn.  To  do  so  with  safety  to  the  barn,  a  thin  false  wall  should  be  laid 
between  them  and  the  ground  sills  for  a  length  of  6  feet  from  the  furnaces, 
that  being  about  as  far  as  the  pipes  are  reddened  by  heat.  This  and  every 
other  necessary  precaution  should  be  taken  against  burning  the  barn,  which 
often  happens,  but  always  from  inexcusable  carelessness. 

The  flue  should  be  taken  to  pieces  and  burnt  out  with  straw  whenever  it 
begins  to  choke  with  soot.  . 

It  takes  from  two  to  three  cords  of  wood  for  a  single  curing,  which  should 
be  dry  and  one-half  pine. 

When  all  else  is  completed,  a  shelter,  the  length  of  the  barn  and  8  feet 
deep,  should  be  put  above  the  furnaces.  ' 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

CIGAR  TOBACCO. 

WHILE  North  Carolina  stands  pre-eminently  the  first  in  the  production 
of  bright  yellow  tobacco,  and  second  only  to  Virginia  in  the  dark 
chewing  tobaccos,  she  has  had  to  yield  without  a  contest  to  the  superiority 
of  Connecticut,  Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio,  in  a  cigar  tobacco  partaking 
largely  of  the  aromatic  flavor  of  the  envied  product  of  Cuba.  It  is,  indeed, 
related  on  the  authority  of  Prof.  Horsford,  of  Harvard  University,  that  on 
a  visit  to  a  large  cigar  factory  in  Havana,  he  was  honored  with  the  gift  of  a 
few  cigars  made  for  the  especial  use  of  the  Emperor  Louis  Napoleon,  and 
was  informed  that  the  leaf  of  which  they  were  composed  was  from  North 
Carolina.  Without  doubting  the  statement,  it  is  certain  that  there  was  a 
rare  exception  to  general  character,  our  tobacco  being  unequalled  for  the 
pipe  or  the  cigarette,  but  wanting  in  the  flavor  so  exquisite  in  the  genuine 
Havana. 

This  flavor  the  tobaccos  of  the  States  above-named  have  in  a  large  degree. 
Cannot  the  same  be  produced  in  North  Carolina  and  in  Virginia,  so  favored 
by  soil  and  climate  for  the  perfection  of  all  other  grades  ? 

If  it  were  a  question  of  latitude  simply,  the  answer  might  be  given  at 
once.  The  mountain  counties  by  their  altitude  would  fall  along  the 
isothermal  line  of  Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut,  and  develop  an  identity 
of  character.  But  experiment  has  not  justified  such  conclusion.  Those 
mountain  counties  do  produce  the  bright  yellow  in  admirable  perfection, 
but  they  will  not  respond  to  the  demand  for  cigar  tobacco. 

It  has  been  shown  that  it  is  not  a  question  of  climate,  but  one  of  soil ; 
that  portions  of  the  same  county,  geologically  dissimilar,  will  be  unlike  in 
their  products,  and  that  Nature  will  not  yield  to  the  most  persevering  skill 
of  the  cultivator  when  she  has  definitely  fixed  the  boundaries  between  one 
formation  and  another.  Therefore,  dark  wrappers  and  fillers  must  be  the 
result  of  one  soil,  bright  yellow  of  another.  This  is  the  rule,  from  which 
there  is  little  exception.  If  another  variety  of  tobacco  is  sought  to  be 
added,  its  characteristics  must  be  studied,  and  the  soil  on  which  it  flourishes 
be  submitted  to  analysis  that  its  geological  composition  may  be  determined. 

As  the  Laurentian  system  is  proven  to  be  the  favored  one  for  bright 
yellow  tobacco  and  the  Huronian  for  darker  qualities,  so  the  Triassic  may 
be  accepted  as  the  home  of  cigar  tobacco,  at  least  in  the  United  States. 
Prof.  Kerr,  in  Vol.  I.  of  his  Geological  Survey  of  North  Carolina,  assigns 
it  the  lowest  grade  in  the  Mesozoic  (middle  life)  system,  "  a  system,"  he 
says,  "  very  scantily  represented  on  the  Atlantic  slope,  being  limited  to  the 
narrow  tracts  of  sandstones,  with  shales  and  conglomerates,  so  well  known 


101 

in  the  Connecticut  valley,  which  extends  also,  with  few  interruptions,  from 
the  Hudson  River,  in  southeastern  New  York,  to  the  upper  border  of  South 
Carolina.  .  .  .  But  the  important  feature  of  it  here  (North  Carolina) 
and  Virginia,  is  the  occurrence  of  extensive  and  valuable  seams  of  coal,  and 
while  the  strata  of  this  series  are  generally  poor  in  fossils  elsewhere  on  the 
Atlantic  slope,  there  have  been  found  in  this  latitude  many  new  and  inter- 
esting organic  forms,  both  vegetable  and  mineral.  " 

It  is  in  this  belt  that  the  cigar  tobacco  attains  so  much  importance 
in  Pennsylvania  and  Connecticut.  Prof.  Jed  Hotchkiss,  topographical 
engineer,  of  Virginia,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Mr.  John  Ott,  Secretary  of 
the  Virginia  Fertilizer  Company,  calls  attention  to  the  matter  as  follows  : 
"  Knowing  that  the  famous  'seed  leaf  (cigar)  tobacco  of  the  Connecticut 
valley  is  grown  on  the  soils  overlying  the  Triassic,  or  New  Red  Sandstone 
rocks,  as  also  in  Lancaster  County,  Pennsylvania,  it  has  often  occurred  to 
me  that  a  similar  leaf  might  be  reared  upon  the  same  formation  in  Virginia, 
where  these  rocks  cover  an  area  of  about  1,600  square  miles."  And  Prof. 
Hotchkiss  presents  a  map  showing  the  occurrence  of  this  formation  where- 
ever  it  appears.  ■  What  has  been  attempted  in  Virginia  under  such  enlight- 
enment is  not  known.  The  knowledge  of  so  important  a  fact  should  not  be 
lost.  It  concerns  North  Carolina  to  know  if  such  formation  exists  within 
her  territory,  and  if  so,  to  subject  it  to  intelligent  tests. 

The  answer  is,  that  there  are  two  such  formations  :  "  the  smaller  or  Dan 
River  belt,  from  two  to  four  miles  wide,  following  the  trough-like  valley  of 
that  stream  (about  N.  650  E.)  for  more  than  30  miles,  to  the  Virginia  line  ; 
the  other,  or  Deep  River  belt,  extending  in  a  similar  trough  5  to  15  miles 
wide,  (and  depressed  100  to  200  feet  below  the  general  level  of  the  country) 
from  the  southern  boundary  of  the  State,  in  Anson  County,  in  a  N.  E. 
direction  to  the  middle  of  Granville  County  within  15  miles  of  the  Virginia 
line."*  Or,  reversing  directions,  beginning  about  half  a  mile  south  of 
Oxford,  and  stretching  towards  the  southwest  with  varying  width,  and 
extending  across  the  State  to  the  South  Carolina  line,  interrupted  only  once 
by  the  Pee  Dee  river  valley  and  its  flanking  hills,  for  a  few  miles.  The 
North  Carolina  railroad  enters  this  formation  about  five  miles  west  of  Dur- 
ham, and  emerges  ten  miles  from  Raleigh.  Durham,  therefore,  already  in 
commanding  relations  to  the  other  varieties  of  tobacco,  may  become  the 
centre  also  of  an  entirely  new  and  lucrative  industry.  For  it  is  not  to  be 
questioned  that,  if  "seed  leaf"  owes  its  existence  to  the  elements  of  this 
special  formation,  the  influence  of  a  lower  latitude  must  have  a  decisive 
effect  in  heightening  flavor,  as  well  as  extending  the  season  of  cultivation. 

A  wide  prospect  is  opened  to  intelligent  enterprise  and  industry.  Suc- 
cess would  revolutionize  industries,  would  bring  into  culture  thousands  of 
acres  given  over  to  unproductiveness,  and  would  give  the  favored  section, 

*  Kerr's  Geological  Survey,  p.  141. 


102 

if  not  a  monopoly  of,  at  least  a  large  control  over  an  article  now  almost  the 
subject  of  monopoly. 

The  treatment  of  this  variety  of  tobacco  is  so  different  from  that  which 
regulates  Southern  practice,  that  copious  extracts  from  a  treatise  by  A.  C. 
Libhart,  of  Lancaster,  Pa.,  are  given. 

The  preliminary  sections  on  Soils  and  Situation  and  Seed  Beds  are 
omitted,  because  experience  on  those  points  is  almost  the  same  everywhere. 
The  extracts  begin  with 

Varieties. 

The  best  variety  for  cultivation  in  a  high  northern  latitude  is  the  Con- 
necticut seed-leaf,  as  it  ripens  two  weeks  earlier  than  most  any  other  variety, 
cures  and  colors  better,  and  commands  the  highest  price  in  the  market. 
The  Pennsylvania  seed-leaf  outstrips  the  Connecticut  in  size  and  weight, 
but  owing  to  its  requiring  a  longer  time  to  mature  in,  is  not  so  well  adapted 
to  climates  north  of  41  °  or  42  °. 

Preparation  of  the  Soil. 

The  manure  should  be  spread  and  plowed  down  several  weeks  before  it 
is  intended  to  plant.  There  is  scarcely  any  limit  as  to  the  quantity  of 
manure  that  may  be  put  to  the  acre,  it  seeming  that  the  richer  the  ground 
is  the  larger  will  be  the  tobacco.  As  an  instance  verifying  this  fact,  a  gen- 
tleman in  this  place  raised  the  past  season  on  a  half-acre  of  land  fourteen 
hundred  lbs.  of  tobacco,  of  the  aggregate  value  of  $230.  There  was  $25 
worth  of  barn-yard  manure  put  upon  it  at  about  the  rate  of  fifty  cents  per 
one  horse  load  ;  the  average  crop  in  the  vicinity  was  only' about  twelve 
hundred  lbs.  to  the  acre.  After  the  land  is  plowed,  and  a  few  days  before 
it  is  intended  to  plant,  the  soil  should  be  well  worked  with  a  harrow  or 
large  cultivator  until  it  is  free  from  lumps  or  clods,  when  it  is  ready  for 
ridging ;  this  is  performed  with  a  common  plow.  Beginning  on  one  side  of 
the  field,  take  a  light  furrow,  so  as  to  throw  up  a  ridge  about  five  or  six 
inches  higher  than  the  surrounding  surface  of  the  field.  When  arrived  at 
the  end,  return  another  furrow  alongside,  so  that  the  earth  thrown  up  by 
the  plow  unites  with  that  of  the  former  furrow,  leaving  a  ridge  apparently 
about  ten  inches  in  height,  but  really  only  five  or  six  above  the  general 
level.  So  proceed,  making  the  apex  of  the  ridges  three-and-a-half  feet 
apart,  until  the  whole  is  finished.  Measure  off  the  distance  of  thirty-six 
inches  for  the  plant  on  the  top  of  the  ridge,  with  an  instrument  constructed 
as  follows :  Take  two  strips  of  board,  two-and-a-half  feet  long  and  an  inch 
square,  make  one  end  of  each  pointed,  then  spread  them  in  the  form  of  a 
pair  of  compasses,  until  the  points  are  the  desired  distance  apart,  making 
the  other  ends  lap  each  other,  fasten  them,  and  put  a  brace  across  about  the 
middle  to  keep  them  stiff;  with  this  instrument  one  person  can  go  before, 
and  planting  one  point  at  a  time  on  the  apex  of  the  ridge,  measure  off 
rapidly  and  correctly  the  place  for  each  plant.     Now  take  a  hoe,  and  at  each 


103 

indentation  made  by  the  compasses,  cut  off  about  two  or  three  inches  in 
depth  of  the  top  of  the  ridge,  and  tap  it  lightly  with  the  back  of  the  hoe 
this  forms  a  platform  or  "  bench  "  for  the  reception  of  the  plant. 

Transplanting. 

When  the  ridge  has  been  thus  prepared,  one  person  goes  ahead  with  a 
basket  of  plants  and  drops  one  on  each  "  bench,"  another  person  following 
and  planting  as  rapidly  as  possible,  as  it  is  injurious  to  the  plant  to  leave  its 
roots  long  exposed  to  the  air.  In  inserting  the  plant,  a  hole  may  be  made 
with  a  pointed  stick,  but  the  most  expeditious,  as  well  as  the  best  way,  is 
with  the  hands.  The  roots  of  the  plant  are  carefully  inserted,  and  the  earth 
pressed  moderately  tight  upon  them  ;  care  must  be  taken  not  to  press  the 
delicate  heart  leaves,  for  upon  their  preservation  depends  the  future  vigor 
of  the  plant.  The  best  time  for  planting  is  during  a  warm,  drizzling  rain  ; 
but  if  no  such  occasion  presents  itself,  when  everything  is  ready,  then  im- 
mediately before  or  after  a  shower  will  do  nearly  as  well.  If  it  is  necessary 
to  plant  without  any  rain,  it  should  be  done  in  the  evening,  and  each  plant 
watered  slightly.  Unless  absolutely  necessary,  never  plant  when  the  ground 
is  in  the  consistence  of  mud,  as  the  roots  are  doubled  up  and  stuck  together, 
and  there  is  considerable  time  lost  in  starting  the  plant,  if,  indeed,  it  ever 
becomes  vigorous.  In  taking  the  plants  from  the  bed,  if  the  earth  is  not 
previously  well  moistened  by  rain,  water  the  ground  sufficiently,  so  that  the 
plants  will  come  up  with  some  earth  attached  to  the  roots ;  they  may  be 
pulled  by  taking  hold  and  gently  doubling  up  the  several  large  leaves  of 
the  plant  at  once  ;  they  are  very  nicely  raised  with  a  common  table  fork. 
After  the  whole  area  has  been  planted,  it  should  be  gone  over  every  few 
days,  and  such  plants  as  have  been  destroyed  by  the  cut-worms,  or  other- 
wise, replaced  by  new  ones  ;  if,  however,  a  plant  shows  signs  of  remaining 
vitality,  it  should  not  be  destroyed,  but  a  new  one  placed  alongside,  as  it 
often  happens  that  a  plant  of  the  first  setting,  even  though  it  be  injured, 
will  eventually  outstrip  in  growth  one  of  a  subsequent  planting  ;  either  can 
be  used  to  advantage  in  replacing  any  missing  plants  at  the  first  hoeing, 
transplanting  them  with  a  large  ball  of  earth  to  the  roots. 

Cultivation. 

When  the  weeds  begin  to  appear  pretty  abundantly,  and  after  the  plants 
have  made  visible  growth,  a  cultivator  must  be  run  between  the  rows,  taking 
care  that  it  does  not  throw  up  the  earth  on  the  ridges  and  cover  the  plants ; 
a  cultivator  that  can  be  regulated  in  width  is  the  best.  Hoe  down  the 
prominences  of  the  ridges  to  a  level  with  the  plants,  and  eradicate  all  weeds 
that  have  come  up  between  the  leaves  of  the  plants ;  also  transplant  from 
any  double  plants  to  such  hills  as  have  become  vacant.  The  plants  will 
now  begin  to  grow  vigorously,  and  require  no  attention  beyond  transplant- 
ing to  fill  vacancies,  until  a  new  crop  of  weeds  appears,  when  the  cultivator 


104 

must  be  again  run  through,  and  the  plants  carefully  hoed,  fresh  earth  being 
drawn  up  after  the  weeds  have  been  scraped  away.  Care  must  be  taken 
not  to  hoe  too  deep  close  to  the  plant,  as  it  destroys  too  many  of  the  fibrous 
roots  which  have  begun  by  this  time  to  permeate  the  soil  in  every  direction. 
When  the  weeds  and  grass  have  been  thoroughly  killed  by  the  sun,  the 
shovel-plow  or  hook  may  be  run  between  the  rows,  and  following  after,  un- 
cover such  leaves  as  may  have  been  buried  by  the  earth  thrown  up  by  the 
implement,  and  hoeing  the  ridges  into  an  even  shape,  rather  flat  upon  the 
top,  and  rounding  off  gradually  till  they  meet  in  the  centre  between  the 
rows  of  tobacco,  forming  a  ditch  or  furrow  not  too  deep,  but  answering  the 
purpose  of  a  drain.  This  is  all  the  cultivation  it  will  require,  but  if  the 
weeds  come  up  between  the  rows  thereafter,  it  will  benefit  the  tobacco  as 
well  as  the  ground  if  they  are  scraped  off  with  a  hoe. 

Topping. 

There  can  be  no  stated  time  for  this,  as  it  depends  upon  the  stage  of 
growth  in  which  the  plant  may  be,  and  the  latitude  or  climate.  As  a  gen- 
eral thing,  it  should  be  topped  before  the  seed-buds  are  visible,  for  when 
these  appear,  the  plant  has  expended  most  of  its  vigor,  and  is  no  longer 
able  to  mature  the  upper  leaves  ;  and  it  must  be  done  at  least  four  weeks 
before  the  period  of  heavy  frosts.  The  number  of  leaves  that  may  be  left 
to  a  stalk  depends  upon  the  quality  of  the  soil ;  if  it  be  very  strong,  it  will 
mature  twenty  or  twenty-four  leaves,  but  in  general  from  sixteen  to  twenty 
is  amply  sufficient  to  leave  on  a  stalk  in  any  situation.  In  topping,  it  is 
better  to  pinch  out  enough  of  the  crown  of  the  plant  to  leave  the  first  two 
leaves  not  less  than  three  or  four  inches  long,  as  they  grow  more  vigorously 
and  mature  more  rapidly  than  the  small  and  tender  leaves  found  about  the 
blossom  buds.  In  pinching  out  the  heart  of  the  plant,  care  must  be  taken 
not  to  break  or  injure  the  upper  leaves  that  are  left.  When  topping,  the 
plants  intended  to  produce  seed  for  the  following  year's  crop  must  be 
spared ;  they  should  always  be  chosen  with  regard  to  the  heaviest,  as  well 
as  the  longest  and  broadest  leafed  plants,  as  weight  and  size  of  leaf  is  the 
chief  consideration  of  tobacco-growers.  The  seed-stalks  should  be  left 
standing  until  the  pods  are  fully  formed  and  begin  to  turn  brown,  when  the 
leaves  may  be  stripped  off  and  saved,  and  the  stalk  be  spaded  up  and 
placed  beyond  the  reach  of  frost  until  the  seed  is  fully  ripe. 

Suckering. 

Soon  after  the  tobacco  has  been  topped  the  "  suckers  "  begin  to  appear 
from  the  junction  of  every  leaf  with  the  stalk ;  they  must  be  pinched  off  as 
soon  as  they  are  large  enough  to  be  caught  by  the  thumb  and  finger,  and 
every  new  one  that  appears  must  be  served  likewise,  for  if  left  they  consume 
much  of  the  nourishment  that  would  otherwise  go  to  the  leaves,  besides 
much  impairing  the  process  of  curing  when  the  stalk  is  hung  up. 


105 

Cutting  and  Housing. 
When  the  top  leaves  have  attained  the  size  of  the  lower  ones  and  begin 
to  be  dotted  with  reddish  spots,  the  tobacco  is  ripe,  and  ready  to  be  cut  off 
and  hung  up  to  cure.  There  are  several  methods  of  hanging'  up  tobacco, 
but  the  following  two  are  the  best  and  shortest :  First,  splitting  and 
hanging  it  upon  laths  or  poles  and  leaving  it  to  partially  cure  in  the  field. 
Secondly,  nailing  it  to  rails  with  lathing-nails  at  once  in  the  shed.  The 
former  method,  for  high  northern  latitudes,  is  by  far  the  best,  as  it  will  cure 
in  a  much  shorter  time  (and  thus  prevent  the  destruction  of  the  crop  by 
freezing  in  the  shed)  by  the  drying  of  the  pith  of  the  stalk,  which  is  the 
main  reservoir  of  moisture.  It  is  performed  as  follows  :  Have  a  chisel 
about  a  foot  long  and  three  inches  broad,  the  sharp  end  not  beveled  on 
one  side  but  coming  to  an  edge  by  a  gradual  taper  on  both  sides  (a 
common  tenon  saw  will  do  pretty  well) ;  place  the  edge  of  the  chisel  in  the 
centre  of  the  stalk  upon  the  end  where  it  has  been  topped  and  push  it 
down,  guiding  it  in  its  course  so  as  not  to  break  or  cut  off  any  leaves,  to 
within  three  or  four  inches  of  the  ground ;  the  stalk  may  then  be  cut  oft 
with  a  hatchet,  or  with  the  chisel  if  it  be  made  pretty  strong.  The  splitting 
may  be  done  in  the  morning  when  the  leaves  are  too  brittle  to  admit  of  the 
stalk  being  cut  down,  and  then,  when  the  sun  has  sufficiently  wilted  the 
leaves,  the  stalk  may  be  cut  and  left  to  lie  until  it  will  bear  handling 
without  breaking  the  leaves.  The  lath  being  previously  prepared,  four 
feet  in  length,  and  about  an  inch  in  thickness  on  one  edge  and  one-half 
inch  on  the  other,  and  two  inches  broad  (or  poles  cut  in  the  forest  will 
answer  pretty  well) ;  then  have  trestles  prepared  high  enough  to  allow  the 
stalks  to  hang  suspended  without  touching  the  ground,  and  set  far  enough 
apart  in  the  field  to  admit  of  the  lath  reaching  from  one  to  another ;  now 
place  the  stalks  of  tobacco  upon  the  lath  (previously  laid  across  the  trestles) 
by  slipping  them  over  and  down  until  they  will  hang  perpendicular,  and  six 
or  eight  inches  apart,  so  they  will  merely  touch  without  crowding  too 
much.  It  may  be  left  hanging  thus  exposed  to  the  weather  until  the  leaves 
are  so  wilted  that  the  stalks  hang  apart  without  touching  and  the  lower 
leaves  begin  to  dry,  when  it  is  taken  off  the  trestles,  each  lath  entire,  and 
laid  upon  a  wagon  and  hauled  to  the 

Shed  or  Drying-House. 
The  shed  must  be  constructed  of  timbers  strong  enough  to  resist  storms 
and  should  be  boarded  "  up  and  down."  About  every  three  feet  one  board 
should  be  hinged,  to  readily  open  and  shut.  If  it  is  intended  to  split  and 
lath  the  tobacco,  the  inside  of  the  shed  must  be  divided  by  rails  into 
widths  to  accommodate  the  laths,  and  likewise  into  tiers,  one  above  the 
other,  far  enough  apart  to  allow  the  stalks  to  hang  from,  well  separate. 
The  frame  of  rails  and  timbers  inside  the  shed,  destined  to  sustain  the 
weight  of  the  tiers  of  tobacco  (which,  when  green,  is  exceedingly  heavy), 


106 

/ 

should  be  strongly  constructed  so  as  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  breaking 
down,  for  if  this  should  happen  to  the  upper  tier,  in  all  probability  the 
whole  would  be  tumbled  to  the  ground.  When  ready  to  hang  up, 
beginning  at  the  top  tier  of  the  shed,  slip  on  one  lath  after  the  other  until 
the  whole  is  filled.  The  process  of  nailing  it  up  to  rails  or  strips  of  board 
in  some  respects  may  be  superior  to  the  former  method,  as  the  tobacco  is 
more  expeditiously  secured  in  the  shed  and  does  not  require  so  much 
handling ;  but  in  general  there  is  more  tobacco  lost  by  being  frozen  in  the 
shed  than  will  pay  for  the  difference  in  time  and  labor.  The  stalk  should 
be  cut  down  after  the  dew  is  off  in  the  morning  and  left  to  wilt.  If  the  sun 
be  very  hot  the  tobacco  must  be  watched  that  it  does  not  scorch,  and  if  this 
be  found  to  be  the  case,  it  should  be  thrown  in  heaps  about  a  foot  high  and 
three  feet  or  less  in  width,  and  then  hauled  into  the  shed.  Here  it  must 
not  be  piled  more  than  a  foot  high,  or  it  will  soon  heat  and  spoil.  It 
should  be  nailed  up  as  rapidly  as  possible — one  person  sticking  the  nail  in 
the  pith  of  the  stalk  exposed  by  cutting  it  off  from  the  ground  and  shaking 
it  to  loosen  the  leaves,  hands  it  to  a  second  person,  who  nails  it  to  the  rail 
far  enough  apart  to  allow  of  the  circulation  of  the  air  throughout.  After 
the  crop  is  in,  the  doors  and  shutters  should  be  opened  all  round,  so  as  to 
allow  a  strong  draught  of  air  to  pass  through  the  tobacco  and  prevent  what 
is  technically  called  "  burning."  This  is  literally  nothing  more  than  a 
partial  decomposition  of  the  leaf  consequent  upon  the  exclusion  of  air  from 
passing  through  it  while  in  the  green  state,  which  destroys  its  quality  and 
texture.  When  dried  it  has  a  blackish  brown  color  and  crumbles  beneath 
the  touch.  When  the  tobacco  is  pretty  thoroughly  cured  and  during  dry 
weather,  when  it  is  very  brittle,  the  high  winds  that  prevail  about  that 
season  will  damage  it  very  much  if  allowed  to  blow  through  the  shed. 
Hence,  at  such  times  the  shed  should  be  closed  on  the  sides  whence  the 
wind  comes  and  opened  again  when  it  has  ceased  to  blow.  When  the 
leaves  are  all  dry,  or  after  the  weather  has  been  severe  enough  to  freeze  the 
remaining  green  ones,  the  tobacco  is  ready  to  be  stripped. 

Stripping. 

At  the  setting  in  of  a  warm,  drizzling,  wet,  foggy  spell  of  weather,  the 
shed  must  be  opened  on  all  sides  to  allow  the  damp  atmosphere  to  pervade 
the  whole  interior.  After  the  dry  leaves  have  become  damp  enough  to 
allow  handling  in  any  degree  without  breaking,  the  stalks  must  be  taken  off 
the  lath,  or  pulled  down  and  laid  in  heaps  about  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet 
high  and  any  desired  length.  If  it  is  not  intended  to  strip  it  immediately  it 
should  be  conveyed  to  a  cellar  or  other  apartment  where  it  will  remain 
damp.  It  should  not,  however,  be  suffered  to  remain  longer  than  two  or 
three  days  in  heaps  without  examination,  as  there  is  sometimes  sufficient 
moisture  remaining  in  the  stalks  or  frozen  leaves  to  create  heat  and  rot  the 
good  tobacco.     If  found  to  be  heating  it  should  be  changed  about  and 


107 

aired,  and  be  stripped  immediately.  If  found  to  be  drying  out,  further 
evaporation  may  be  checked  by  covering  the  heaps  with  damp  straw  or 
corn-fodder.  Tobacco  is  usually  stripped  into  two  qualities — "  ground 
leaf,"  or  "fillers,"  and  "wrappers."  The  leaves  that  lie  next  the  ground,, 
generally  from  two  to  four,  are  always  more  or  less  damaged  by  sand 
beating  on,  by  the  rain  and  other  causes ;  hence  they  only  command  about 
half  the  price  of  the  good  tobacco  or  "  wrappers."  The  ground  leaves  are 
taken  off  first  and  tied  up  separately  in  bunches  or  "  hands."  This  is 
performed  in  the  following  manner :  Take  off  one  leaf  after  another  until 
there  is  contained  in  the  hand  a  sufficient  number  to  make  a  bunch  about 
an  inch  in  diameter  at  the  foot-stalks,  which  must  be  kept  even  at  the  ends, 
and,  holding  the  bunch  clasped  in  one  hand,  take  a  leaf  and  wrap  it  around 
(beginning  at  the  end  of  the  bunch),  confining  the  end  under  the  first  turn, 
continue  to  wrap  smoothly  and  neatly  until  about  three  inches  of  the  leaf 
remain,  then  open  the  bunch  in  the  middle  and  draw  the  remaining  part  of 
the  leaf  through.  This  forms  a  neat  and  compact  "  hand  "  that  will  bear  a 
great  deal  of  handling  without  coming  open.  After  the  ground-leaves  have 
been  removed,  the  good  leaves  are  stripped  off  and  tied  up  the  same  as  the 
ground-leaves,  with  this  exception — the  leaves  of  each  stalk  should  be 
tied  in  a  bunch  by  themselves  to  preserve  a  uniformity  in  color  and  size,  as 
tobacco  is  sold  in  the  market  according  to  color  and  size.  Therefore,  if  the 
leaves  of  a  large  and  a  small  plant,  or  of  a  dark  colored  and  a  light  one,  be 
tied  up  together  it  at  once  diminishes  the  appearance  and  value  of  the 
crop. 

Bulking. 

As  soon  as  a  quantity  of  tobacco  is  stripped  it  should  be  "  bulked  down," 
or  if  intended  to  be  immediately  delivered  at  the  packing-house,  put  up  in 
bales.  A  place  to  bulk  it  in  should  be  damp  enough  to  prevent  the  tobacco 
from  becoming  dry,  and  not  damp  enough  to  cause  it  to  mold.  A  platform 
raised  a  few  inches  from  the  ground,  and  open  to  let  the  air  circulate  under, 
must  first  be  laid  down,  and  then  the  "  hands"  of  tobacco  piled  upon  it 
crosswise  in  successive  layers,  and  lapping  each  other  about  three  or  four 
inches  at  the  points  of  the  leaves.  If  "  bulked  "  beside  a  wall,  a  space 
must  be  left  behind  for  air  to  pass  through  to  prevent  moulding.  It  may 
be  thus  "  bulked  "  four  or  five  feet  in  height  without  danger  of  spoiling* 
In  most  sections  the  crop  is  sold  to  merchants  who  have  packing  houses, 
and  who  pack  it  in  cases  of  about  three  hundred  pounds  each,  and  store  it 
until  it  has  gone  through  the  "sweating"  process,  by  which  it  becomes  fit 
for  manufacturing  purposes,  and  then  dispose  of  it  to  manufacturers  and 
speculators  in  the  city  markets. 

Packing. 

In  order  to  transport  it  more  readily,  it  is  put  up  in  bales  of  about  one 
hundred  pounds  each.     The  process  of  baling  is  performed  thus :  make  a 


108 

bottomless  box  about  thirty-four  inches  long  (inside)  by  sixteen  high  and 
wide.  On  each  side  nail  two  upright  cleats,  one-and-a-half  inches  thick, 
each  ten  inches  from  the  end.  Across  these  cleats,  parallel  and  even  with 
the  top  of  the  box,  nail  a  narrow  strip  of  board.  These  strips  or  rails  are 
to  confine  and  keep  the  ends  of  the  straw-bands  out  of  the  way  while  pack- 
ing. Now  have  a  duplicate  box  the  same  size  in  length  and  breadth,  but 
about  six  inches  deep,  to  fit  down  on  the  top  of  the  first  box ;  there  must 
be  three  notches  cut  in  the  bottom  of  each  side  of  this  box  for  the  bands  to 
pass  through.  It  should  fit  down  close  on  the  top  of  the  true  box.  There 
must  also  be  a  lid  made  to  slip  up  and  down  easily  in  the  box,  with  three 
notches  in  each  side  to  allow  it  to  slip  past  the  bands.  When  ready  to 
pack,  have  good  bands  made  of  rye-straw,  and  wet,  to  render  them  more 
pliable.  Twist  them,  and  getting  inside  the  box,  lay  one  band  down  on 
the  ground,  with  the  knot  in  the  middle,  and  within  three  inches  of  the  end 
of  the  box,  and  place  one  foot  in  each  corner  of  the  box  upon  the  band, 
then  push  the  ends  of  the  band  down  between  the  outside  of  the  box  and 
the  rail.  There  must  be  three  bands  in  all,  one  at  each  end  and  one  in  the 
middle.  When  the  bands  are  in  the  box,  the  "  hands  "  of  tobacco  are  laid 
in  the  same  as  in  the  "  bulk,"  keeping  the  ends  of  the  bunches  well  against 
the  end  of  the  box  until  it  is  filled,  then  put  on  the  lid  and  press  it  down 
with  lever  or  screw,  whichever  may  be  most  convenient ;  after  it  is  pressed 
sufficiently  solid  remove  the  lid  and  place  the  upper  box  in  its  proper  posi- 
tion, fill  up  to  the  top  with  tobacco,  and  press  it  down  again,  and  so  until 
the  box  is  sufficiently  full  to  come  within  the  limits  of  the  bands  to  confine. 
Now  remove  the  upper  box  and  tie  the  middle  band  first  (this  prevents  the 
mass  from  expanding  further),  and  lastly  the  end  ones,  and  give  it  another 
pressure  to  set  the  bands  and  restore  the  shape  of  the  bale ;  now  pull  off 
the  box  and  there  remains  a  neat,  square  bale  of  tobacco  of  about  one 
hundred  pounds'  weight,  that  will  bear  handling  and  transportation  almost 
anywhere  without  injury  or  coming  open.  If  the  tobacco  should  become 
too  dry  in  the  "  bulk  "  to  pack,  it  may  be  restored  by  sprinkling  it  lightly 
with  hot  water,  using  a  small  corn-broom,  and  "rebulking  "  it,  taking  down 
and  sprinkling  one  layer  at  a  time,  and  allowing  it  to  remain  about  two 
days,  when  the  water  will  have  become  diffused  throughout  the  whole,  and 
i,t  again  be  fit  to  pack. 


RICHMOND  INTERESTS. 

In  an  interest  in  which  North  Carolina  is  so  largely  connected  with  the 
Virginia  markets,  it  would  be  unjust  to  pass  by  the  relation  in  which  Rich- 
mond stands  to  those  interests.  For  two  hundred  years  she  has  been  the 
arbiter  of  the  tobacco  markets,  controlling  them  by  the  influence  of  char- 
acter and  experience.     Those  interests  are  extended  over  so  much  ground 


109 

that  it  is  not  proposed,  from  the  magnitude  of  the  subject,  to  more  than  refer 
to  the  subject.  As  identified  with  North  Carolina  interests  an  exception  is 
made  in  the  case  of  Messrs.  Hill,  Skinker  &  Watkins,  two  of  whom  are 
North  Carolinians,  one  a  Virginian,  but  all  animated  by  the  finest  North 
Carolina  spirit. 

Their  business  was  established  in  1866.  Charles  D.  Hill  and  Charles 
Watkins,  native  North  Carolinians,  from  Caswell  County  in  this  State,  have 
literally  spent  their  lives  from  early  boyhood  handling  the  bright  tobacco 
which  originated  in  their  county.  The  senior  partner,  Mr.  C.  D.  Hill,  went 
to  Richmond  early  after  the  completion  of  the  R.  &  D.  R.  R.  in  1857,  and 
has  been  identified  with  the  tobacco  trade  of  that  city  ever  since,  except 
the  period  covered  by  the  late  civil  war. 

This  house  has  been  thoroughly  identified  with  the  bright  tobacco 
interest  of  North  Carolina  in  all  the  stages  of  its  development,  and  are  now 
handling  it  probably  to  as  large  an  extent  as  any  one  house  in  the  United 
States,  and  have  done  as  much  as  any  one  house  to  introduce  North  Caro- 
lina's great  staple  to  the  notice  of  tobacco  dealers  and  manufacturers  as  any 
one  house  in  the  trade. 

Their  buildings,  erected  for  warehouse  purposes  on  Carey  street,  are  no 
doubt  the  best  in  Virginia,  erected  with  special  reference  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  peculiar  qualities  of  the  special  tobacco  they  control ;  especially 
of  brights,  which  change  color  less  and  keep  longer  than  the  same  tobacco 
stored  in  ordinary  sheds.  The  centre  warehouse  is  of  brick  two  and  a  half 
stories  high,  80  feet  front,  running  back  260  feet,  and  are  in  all  respects 
perfectly  adapted  to  the  uses  to  which  they  are  appropriated. 


110 


t\§&  &  B1acj5-^ 


DURHAM,  N.  C, 

Wholesale  Leaf  Tobacco  Dealers, 


LARGEST  DEALERS  IN  HUH  CAROLINA ! 


Deal  Exclusively  in  the  Celebrated  Tobacco  grown  in 
the  "  Golden  Belt  of  North  Carolina." 


FINE  AND  FANCY  BRIGHT  WRAPPERS  AND  SMOKERS 

-A.    SPEOIALITTI 


is 


d  to 


y  tip  to  sample  i 


All  Short  and  Inferior  Tobacco  thrown   out.     Every  Package 

prized  thoroughly  uniform  and  our  name 

stencilled  thereon. 


You  will  find  our  goods  on  sale  at  Louisville,  St.  Louis, 
New  York  and  Richmond. 

ALWAYS  GIVES  SATISFACTION. 


Ill 


GRAVES7!  WAREHOUSE; 

DANVILLE,  VA. 


STILL  OFFERS 


Superior    Advantages    for    Storing,    Handling 
and   the  SALE  of 


LEAF  TOBACCO 


i 


We  have  Good  Lights  and  Good  Ac- 
commodations, with  a  polite  and  experien- 
ced corps  of  gentlemen,  who  will  at  all  times 
give  strict  attention  to  handling  and  the  sale 
of  all  Tobacco  sent  to  this  house. 


We  will  furnish  Tierces  at  any  Railroad  Station 

upon  application,   and  will  use  our  best 

efforts  to  obtain  the 


for  your  Tobacco. 


WM.  P.  GRAVES,      -        -      Proprietor. 


112 


[MmSHlMIXTURE] 

A   High  Grade  Phosphate  which  is  not  sold 

through  agents,  but  direct  to  the 

planters  at  the 

LOWEST  WHOLESALE  CASH  PRICE, 

1  to  3  tons,        -        -        $32.00  per  ton. 
3  to  6     "       -        -        -     31.00 
6  or  more  tons,  -        -       30.00 

ON  BOARD  CARS  OE  BOAT  IN  BALTIMORE. 

If  this  article  was  sold  through  agents,  and  we  had  to  pay  agents' 
commissions,  the  N.  0.  tax,  and  the  losses  from  bad  debts  incurred  by 
every  one  who  gives  credit,  the  price  would  have  to  be  $10.00  higher 
per  ton  to  the  farmer.     We  claim  that  there  is 

NO  BETTER  FERTIUZER  MABE 

for  Cotton  and  Tobacco  than  British  Mixture,  and  that  it  gives  more 

fertilizer  to  the  planter  for  each  dollar  paid  than  any  other  fertilizer 

in  the  market. 

MANUFACTURED  BY 

E.  B.  WHITMAN, 

No.  104  South  Charles  Street, 

BALTIMORE,  MD. 

*g-MAKE  UP  CLUBS  TO  BUY  IN  CARLOAD  LOTS  AT 

LOWEST  PRICES,  AND  GET  CARLOAD 

RATES  OP  FREIGHT. 


WM.  H.  BROWN,  Pres't.  W.  S.  POWELL,  Treas. 

THE  BROWN  CHEMICAL  CO. 

OF  BALTIMORE. 

Office,  25  South  Sharp  Street, 

Sole  Manufacturers  of 


TRADE  MARK. 


POWELL'S  PREPARED  CHEMICALS, 

The  best  and  cheapest  compound  ever  made  for  making  reliable  fertilizers.  By  the  use  of 
Powell's  Chemicetls  you  can  make  a  high  grade  fertilizer  at  one-third  the  usual  price. — 
Dr.  Ledoux,  of  N.  C,  in  his  report  to  the  North  Carolina  Board  Agriculture  for  1SS0,  gives  the 
Powell's  Chemicals  an  intrinsic  value  of  $13.85  per  formula  when  we  sell  them  to  the 
farmer  at  12  00     See  Ledoux's  Report,  1880,  pp.  68  and  76. 

ALSO  MANUFACTURERS  AND  DEALERS  IN 


Powell's  Pure  Dissolved  Ttone, 
Powell's  Pure  Rone  Meal, 

Powell's  Pure  Ainmoniated  Rove, 
Powell's  Pure  Dissolved  S.  C.  Bone 
Powell's  Sulphate  Magnesia. 


Powell's  Kainit,  Tliah  Grade, 
Poivell's  Sulphate  Potash, 
Powell's  Muriate  Potash, 
Powell's  Plaster, 
Powell's  Oil  Vitrol, 


ANDALLHIGH  G-RADE  FERTILIZINGr  GOODS. 
Special  Mixtures  and  Fertilizers  made  to  order. 

RE.lIEJflBlEBl  that  Powell's  Chemicals  after  January  1st,  1880.,  also  Powell's 
No.  1,  High  Grade  Kainit  will  be  shipped  in  tight  barrels  instead  of  bags  as  heretofore.  This 
will  be  a  great  saving  of  loss  in  weight  during  transportation. 


Powell's  Tip  Top  Bone  Fertilizer. 

Only  one  Price— $30.00  a  ton,  Cash.     No  commissions  to  Agents. 

SPECIAL  NOTICE. 


1 
2001bs.       1 

§  "TIPTOP"    | 

XpTRADEgL^JdMARK.  jj 

P     i^Sr-*     1 

GUARANTEED 

W1M0NIA 2  T0  2>2O/0  ,j 

fvAiL.PHos.  Acid 7 '4  to  9-°^i 

Total  Bone  Phos.  .27  to  30% 

WOTASH .2  TO  2/2%  I 

ll?  Price  S  3Q.0Q  a  toil  cash .  |§ 


The  "Tip  Top"  bone  fertilizer,  as  will  be  seen  by 
analysis,  is  very  rich  in  plant  food.  We  put  it  on  the 
market  as  being  much  cheaper  and  equally  as  good 
as  many  of  the  higher  priced  brands  that  are  now 
sold.  The  analysis  of  this  Fertilizer  is  guaranteed, 
and   is  in   the  best  mechanical  condition  for  drilling. 

There  is  not  one  pounel  of  earth  or 
foreign  matter   ttsed  in   making   the 

compound.  These  facts,  with  the  high  chemical 
value  and  low  price  of  the  "  Tip  Top,"  will  make  it 
fill  a  demand  made  by  a  great  many  fa?mers  for  a 
cheap  and  efficient  Fertilizer  where  they  have  not  the 
time  or  means  of  manipulating  chemicals  successfully. 

GIVE  IT  A  TRIAL. 

A  pamphlet  giving  full  description  of  all  our  goods, 
and  testimonials  from  leading  farmers  as  to  their 
qualities,  mailed  to  any  address  on  application  to 

W.  S.  POWELL,  Treasurer. 

BALTIMORE '. 

[over.] 


BITTERS 

A  TRUE  TONIC 


IRON  BITTERS  are  highly  recommended 
to  the  public  for  all  diseases  requiring  a 
certain  and  efficient  TONIC ;  especially  In- 
digestion,  Dyspepsia,  Intermittent  Fevers, 
Want  of  Appeti te,  Loss  of  Strength,.  Lack 
of  Energy,  etc.  It  enriches  the  blood, 
strengthens  the  muscles,  and  gives  new  life 
to  the  nerves.  It  acts  like  a  charm  on  the 
digestive  organs.  Relieves  all  dyspeptic 
symptoms,  such  as  tasting  the  food,  belch- 
ing,  heat  in  the  stomach,  heartburn,  etc. 

The  only  Iron  Preparation  that  will  not 
blacken  the  teeth  or  give  headache. 

PRICE  ONF  DOLLAR  A  BOTTLE. 

Write  fur  the  A.  B.  C.  Took,  32  pages,  sent  five. 

BllOWjr  CHJE.MIC*1L  CO., 

BALTIMORE,  MD. 


CURATINE,  a  cure  for  .all   Scrofulous  Taints, 

Rheumatism,  Salt  Rheum,  Old  Sores  and  Ulcers,  White 
Swellings,  Eruptive  Diseases,  Tetter,  Carbuncles  and 
Boils,  Syphilis,  all  debasements  and  impurities  of  the 
BLOOD.  *  v 

VU MA-TINE,  a,  cure  for  all  liver  Complaints, 
Jaundice,  Severe  Headache,  Dizziness,  Constipation, 
Dropsical  effusion, Biliousness,  and  every  other  dis- 
ease that  threatens  Life  through  that  important  vital 
organ,  t  he  LIVER, 

CURATINE,  a  cure  for  all  Kidney  Complaints, 
( except  * '  Brigh  t's  Kidney  Disease ,"  which  is  incurable, 
CURATINE  will  relieve),  Pains  in  the  Back,  Groins, 
Retention  and  Excess  of  Urine,  Diabetes,  Night 
Sweats,  Painful  Urination,  Palpitation,  and  other 
Symptoms  of  Trouble  in  the  KIDNEYS. 

4  THE  BLOOD  IS  LIFE."  If  it  be  impure  there  can 
be  no  real  health.  CURA.TINE  reaches  and  cleanses 
the  blood  with  marvelous  certainty 

THE  LIVER  IS  THE  BODY'S  FILTER.  If  it  is 
clogged,  Inactive  or  torpid  from  congestion,  many  or 
all  of  the  above  symptoms  appear  and  sickness,  and 
perhaps  death  ensues.  CURATINE  acts  directly  upon 
the  Liver  and  corrects  its  action. 

THE  KIDNEYS  STRAIN  AND  SEPARATE  THE 
USEFUL  FROM  USELESS  FLUID  IN  THE  SYSTEM 
Direous  distresses  take  place  when  the  Kidneys  cease 
to  act,  the  whole  body  is  in  danger.  CURATINE  gives 
the  Kidneys  strength  and  energy  to  perform  their 
appointed  work. 

Write  for  the  A.  B.  C.  Booh,  32  pages  of  amusing 
reading.    SENT  FREE. 

PRICE  $1.00  A  BOTTLE. 


CURATINEis  thebest  Medicine  "known  to  manhind 
for  the  diseases  of  the  Blood,  Liver  and  Kidneys. 


A  Vegetable  Medicine  for  the  Blood, 
Liver  and  Kidneys. 


THE  BROWN  CHEMICAL  CO., 

BALTIMORE,    MD. 


113 


OF    SPECIAL    INTEREST 

TO  THE 


Tobacco  Growers  §  North 


The  bulk  of  the  Tobacco  now  produced  in  North  Carolina  is  of 
the  yellow  types,  and  the  success  attending  its  cultivation  has  been. 
such  as  to  induce  us  to  look  for  a  still  further  extension  of  its  range. 
The  Southern  Fertilizing  Company,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  early  appre- 
ciating the  probable  progress  of  this  industry,  not  only  prepared  a 
fertilizer  that  would  produce  yellow  leaf  of  the  finest  quality,  but 
supplied  the  grower  needing  information  with  the  fullest  instructions 
how  to  handle  the  crop  from  the  seed-bed  to  the  warehouse.  It  is 
every  way  desirable  that  North  Carolina  should  maintain  her  reputa- 
tion as  the  home  of  the  finest  yellow  tobacco  in  the  world.  The  fer- 
tilizer her  people  use  on  this  crop  should  be  one  that  time  has  proven 
to  be  entirely  reliable.     This  proof  is  shown  by  the 


"Anchor 


Brand. 


)) 


It  has  been  fourteen  years  in  the  field,  and  continues  to  stand  without 
a  rival  on  fine  yellow  tobacco.  Hear  what  is  said  about  it  by  Majok 
Robert  L.  Ragland,  of  Halifax  County,  Ya.,  who  is  accepted  on  all 
hands  as  the  best  tobacco  authority  in  the  United  States : 

u  There  are  several  brands  of  fertilizers  manufactured  specially  for 
tobacco,  differing  in  composition,  price  and  merit ;  and  after  repeated 
experiments  with  most  if  not  all  of  the  best,  the  author  gives  it  as  his 
decided  opinion,  that  for  fine,  bright,  silky  tobacco  nothing  equals  the 
Anchor  Brand  Tobacco  Fertilizer,  prepared  by  the  Southern  Fertiliz- 
ing Company,  Richmond,  Va.  And  this  opinion  is  based  upon  four- 
teen years'  trial,  and  often  in  competition  with  the  best  of  other  brands 
on  the  market.  It  is  a  tried  and  proved  fertilizer,  which  the  planter 
can  use  without  the  risk  of  getting  something  unsuited  to  his  crop ; 
and  therefore  I  can  recommend  it  with  confidence." 

Bus  Standard  Fertilizer  is  for  Sale  at  every  important  point  in  North  Carolina. 

ENQUIRE  AND  YOU  WILL  FIND  IT. 


114 


ASHEVILLE  WAREHOUSE 


FOR    TIBCE    S^V.XjX3    03E* 


LEAF   TOBACCO 


WILLOW    STREET, 

Opposite  Eacle  Hotel,  ASHEVILLE,  N.  C. 


HIGHEST  MARKET  PRICES,  AND  BEST  ATTENTION  TO 
MAN  AND  TEAMS  GUARANTEED. 


ALSO  AGENT  FOR 


ALLISON  &  ADDISON 

"STAR  BRAND"  FERTILIZER 

THE  COMPLETE  TOBACCO  MANURE. 

Containing,   by  Analysis,  the  following  Ele- 
ments Absolutely  Essential  for  the 
Production  of 

I^IBIES^ECT    TOBACCO! 


AMMONIA,        h 
PHOSPHORIC  ACID,  Soluble,  ~ 
PHOSPHORIC  ACID,  Insoluble, 
SULPHATE  POTASH,    - 


1  to  4  per  cent,. 
4  to  8      " 
6  to  S      " 
3  to  5      " 


115 

BYNUM,  GOTTEN  &  J01TES, 

WINSTON,  IN".   C. 

MANUFACTURERS  OF  FINS  CHEWH5  TOBACCOS 

LEADING  BRANDS: 

NO  NAME,  SILVER  WAVE, 

SMART  ELICK,  OUR  NED, 

WACHOVIA,  MAMIE  LEE. 


CORRESPONDENCE    SOLICITED.— Buyers   quoted   same 
prices  as  if  personally  present. 


PIEDMONT  I  WAREHOUSE) 

T^T-IZLTSIOSST,    1ST.    O. 

Stands  in  the  front  rank  with  none  ahead.  Sales  for  the  present  year  more 
than  thirty  thousand  (30,000)  parcels.  Increase  in  past  four  years  more  than 
four  fold.  Hundreds  of  new  customers  have  been  added  during  present  year  ; 
still  there  is  room  for  more.  With  many  thanks  for  past  patronage,  we  ask  a 
liberal  share  in  the  future. 

M.  W.  NORFLEET, 

PROPRIETOR  OF 

PIEDMONT  WAEEHOUSE 


THE  FOLLOWING  NAMED  GENTLEMEN  ARE  STILL  WITH  ME: 

f .  A.  S.  PEARCE,        JAMES  S.  SCALES,        J.  Q.  A.  BARHAM, 

BOOK-KEEPER.  FLOOR  MANAGER.  AUCTIONEER. 

OOTOBEK    lot,    1880. 


116 


•wm:.  .a_  xje^u. 


TUO.  T.  LEA. 


THE  BANNER  WAREHOUSE, 

FOR  THE  PURCHASE  AND  SALE  OP 

ILE-^-IF1  TOBACCO 

LEA  BROTHERS,  Proprietors. 

THE  ALAMAHCE  FILLER  AND  SMOKER  A  SPECIALTY.    Prompt  Perso- 
nal Attention  given  to  Business  Orders.    Consignments  Solicited. 

2000    TOZtSTS 

KAINIT  (Potash) 

Direct  from  the  Mines  in  Germany,  receiving  in  Norfolk  by 

O.   TLm.  UFSHTJR,  Importer, 

Manufacturer  of  the  Celebrated  Bone  and  Peruvian  Guano  brand  for  Tobacco,, 
(made  from  Peruvian  Guano,  Dissolved  Bones  and  Potash),  also  Manufacturer 
of  the  Royal  Phosphate,  Fish  Guano,  and  Importer  of  Chemicals. 


ST.  ME 


till, 


COR.  BANK  &  12th  STREETS, 


IB. 


FACING  CAPITOL  SQUARE, 

,  PropT.         RICHMOND,  VA. 


Terms,   $2.00    <Ss   ^2.50   Per   TDajy. 
C.  W.  HENDERSON,  Chief  Clerk. 


/ 


117 


"OCCONEECHEE" 


— -A-ISTOD— 

u 


TAR  HEEL" 


SMOKIJNTO 


O  B  A  O  O  O 


LONG  CUT  AND  GRANULATED. 


We  would  respectfully  call  the  attention  of  the 
trade  to  these  celebrated  brands  of  North  Carolina 
Tobacco.     They  are 

HABI  FEOlf  711  BIST  LIAF  IE0WI I 

Are  put  up  with  skill  and  care,  in  neat  and 
attractive  packages,  are 

Guaranteed  Pure  &  Unadulterated! 

and  are  always  kept  up  to  the  standard. 


'.  TORIES  &Z  CO., 
HILLSBOEO.  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


118 

I.  IE.  IR,^."^, 

ASHEVILLE,      -        ■      NORTH  CAROLINA. 


"  Without  a  Rival 7" 


18  SAID  OF 


IN   THE   VIRGENiA   MARKETS. 


It  has  tafen  a  P&E1DDX  is  Uu  SEMI  TOBACCO  mi  of  the  UNITED  STATES ! 

AND    AGAIN    AT    THE 

Great  Paris  Exposition  over  the  Tobaccos  of  the  World ! 


THE  BEST  KNOWN  BRANDS  OF  SMOKING  TOBACCO ! 

" Asheville's  Best" 

"  Black  Mountain/' 

Manufactured  by  I.  E.  RAY, 

Of  Puke  North  Carolina  Leaf,  and  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  Pipe  ; 
are  already  famous  and  sought  as  the  most  desirable,  in  fact,  it  is  said 
that  nowhere  else  can  such  be  had. 


Among  all  the  good  things  that  give  life  its  zest, 
These  famous  Tobaccos  now  rival  the  best. 


JOHN  A.  LEE. 


119 
Established  184:1. 


J.  OTEY  TAYLOR. 


LEAF  TOBACCO 

Office,  No.  66  Main  St., 

1TCHBTTEG",     T^lM^i 


Tlie  publishers  of  this  pamphlet  copy  from  the  "Isynchburg  Virginian,"  of  October 
27,  1S80,  the  following  notice  in  reference  to  the  above  firm  : 

LYNCHBURG  ENTERPRISE—  Notes  of  a  Prosperous  House  and  its  Business —One  of  the 
best  known  and  most  deservedly  popular  business  houses  in  Virginia  is  that  now  known  as 
Lee,  Taylor  &  Co.,  Leaf  Tobacco  and  Produce  Commission  Merchants,  66  Main  street.  The 
history  of  this  establishment  makes  an  interesting:  and  important  part  of  that  of  Lynchburg 
itself.  It  has  grown,  like  the  city,  if  not  slowly  at  least  surely,  and  the  various  changes 
through  which  the  business  has  passed  are  weil  worth  recording: 

In  1841  the  firm  of  Roberts  &  Lee  was  established  when  the  city  and  its  trade  may  be  said  to 
have  been  in  their  infancy,  compared  with  the  present  proportions,  and  their  business,  though 
small,  was  lucrative,  and  the  partnership  continued  until  1844,  when  the  firm  of  Lee  &  Roberts 
was  formed  and  continued  until  1847 ;  then  they  were  succeeded  by  McDaniel  &  Lee.  This  firm 
continued  in  active  business  until  1853,  when  Lee  &  Johnson  stepped  forward  and  conducted 
the  business  until  1859.  Then  came  Lee,  Rocke  &  Taylor,  whose  partnership  was  not  dissolved 
until  1865.  Then  Lee  &  Taylor  conducted  the  business  until  18T0.  when  the  firm  name  was 
changed  to  Lee,  Taylor  &  Co.,  and  this  partnership  continued  for  three  years.  In  1873  the  firm 
was  again  changed  to  Lee  &  Taylor  Bros.,  and,  in  1879,  to  Lee,  Taylor  &  Payne.  And  now, 
October,  1880,  the  firm  is  again  known  as  Lee,  Taylor  &  Co.,  as  it  was  ten  years  ago,  Mr.  Mosby 
H.  Payne  having  retired. 

It  may  be  mentioned,  as  a  significant  proof  of  the  energy,  tact  and  popularity  of  the  nu- 
merous business  men  who  have  from  time  to  time  beenmemters  of  this  firm,  which  dates  back 
nearly  forty  years,  that  though  the  business  was  originally  small,  every  successive  firm  has 
increased  its  trade  and  popularity,  and  that,  in  all  these  long  years,  and  amid  all  the  changes 
and  vicissitudes  which  have  wrecked  many  business  establishments,  this  house  has  never 
failed  to  pay  any  note  or  other  obligation  at  maturity,  and  has  never  asked  indulgence  from 
a  creditor,  while  granting  that  favor  with  a  liberal  hand  to  its  customers  and  debtors. 

An  idea  of  the  immense  business  of  this  house  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that  during 
the  past  year  they  sold  at  their  warehouse  (Martin's)  over  six  and  a  half  millions  pounds  of 
tobacco,  being  more  than  one-fourth  of  all  sold  in  the  market.  Their  dealings  with  producers, 
buyers  and  consumers  have  been  so  satisfactory  as  to  increase  their  trade  and  make  new 
friends  and  patrons  every  month. 

From  the  small  beginning  of  forty  years  a<?o,  this  house  has  established  not  only  an  enor- 
mous retail  trade,  but  wholesale  patronage  which  is  surprising— their  business  last  year  aggre- 
gating a  half  million  d;. liars  ;  and  to  demonstrate  "  how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  to- 
gether in  unity,"  it  may  be  stated  that  the  present  proprietors  have  been  together  more  than 
twenty  years. 

In  view  of  a  large  expected  increase  of  business  in  future  they  have  greatly  increased  their 
facilities  for  accommodating  the  wants  of  all  their  patrons.  The  farmer  who  wants  seed  grain 
need  go  no  further  to  find  everything  in  that  line  that  the  market  affords,  for  in  this  specialty 
Lee,  Taylor  &  Co.  have  no  opposition.  In  field  seeds,  some  other  firms  here  make  the  competi- 
tion lively. 

In  addition  to  their  enormous  leaf  tobacco,  commission  and  grocery  business,  this  firm  are 
also  sole  agents  for  Dupont  &  Co.'s  powder  and  fuse  of  all  grades.  In  fact  anything  to  be 
found  in  a  wholesale  grocery  and  commission  house  will  be  promptly  supplied  by  them  on 
terms  as  reasonable  as  any  other  house  can  offer. 

We  have  thus  hastily  and  imperfectly  alluded  to  the  claims  of  this  house  upon  the  patron- 
age and  confidence  of  the  public,  with  no  other  desire  than  to  call  attention  to  a  deserving  en- 
terprise which  fully  demonstrates  its  claims  to  continued  support. 


120 


HALL   BROS., 

General  Merchants, 

WHOLESALE  &  RETAIL, 
HICKOE-T,  IfcT.  C. 


IN    THE    STATE  ! 

Write  us   for  any  information,  commercial  or  otherwise, 
that  may  be  desired. 


(HALL  &  DANlED 

Tobacco  Manufacturers, 

HICKORY,   3XT.  O. 


Manufacture  PLUG,  TWIST  &  SMOKING  TOBACCOS 

in  the  finest  tobacco  producing  section   of  North  Carolina,    and   solicit 
orders  or  inquiries  for  either  of  their  popular  Brands  : 

GAMJE  COCK,  SWANNANOA, 

MARBLE  HALL,  LITTLE  KATIE, 

GOLD  COIN,  WAVERLT, 


121 


WESTERN  NORTH  CAROLINA 

SMOKING  TOBACCO 

ASHEVILLE,  BUNCOMBE  CO. 

It  is  admitted  that  the  Tobacco  grown  in  these  Mountains  of 
AVestern  North  Carolina  produces  Smoking  Tobacco  of  a  quality 
surpassing  any  other. 

We  have  devoted  our  attention  to  the  manufacturing  of  the 
very  choicest  selection  of  this  tobacco  here  at  home,  where  it  is 
raised,  and  we  now  offer  to  the  public  a  perfectly  pure  article, 
absolutely  free  of  any  mixture  whatever.  We  use  no  flavoring 
or  any  other  deleterious  mixture,  it  is  the  native  leaf.  We  man- 
ufacture these  grades,  all  perfectly  pure : — 

GOLDEN  LEAF,       "LAND  OF  THE  SKY,"       PISGAH, 


EXTRA. 


VERY  FINE. 


FINE. 


We  have  a  large,  carefully  selected  stock,  and  are  prepared 
to  fill  orders  with  as  little  delay  as  the  demands  on  us  will  permit. 

EL    I-    HOLME1S    c*3    CO., 

laiifactnren  of  Pore  aid  Unadnlterated.  Sikinj  Tobacco, 

ASHEVILLE,  3ST.  C. 


W.  H.  TAPPEY. 


ALEX.  STEEL- 


TAPPEY  &  STEEL, 


MANUFACTURERS  OF 


Saw  Mills,  Grist  Mills,  Mill  Irons, 

PLO  -W  JS, 

IRON  AND  BRASS   CASTINGS, 

PETEBSBTJBG-,   VA_ 


Sue  M  m  Cheap  MM  BOILERS  aafi  ENGINES  on  Hani 


122 


WEBB'S  WAREHOUSE 

HILLSBORO,  N.  C. 

FOR  THE  PURCHASE  AND  SALE  OF 


ORDERS   SOLICITED. 


C.  B.  PAYLOE.  Proprietor, 


Attorney  at  Law, 

DURHAM,  N.   C. 


Prompt  Attention  to  All  Business. 

Hen.  Z.  B.  Vance,  if.  S.  Senator  from  N.  C. 
"    Matt  W.  Kansom,    "  "  " 

"     Gov.  Thomas  J.  Jarvis,  of  N.  Carolina. 

Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  N.  Carolina. 

UUCIUS  GREEN, 

MANUFACTURER  OF 

Genuine  Indian  Girl 

DURHAM 

Smoking  Tobacco, 

DURHAM,       -      N.  C. 


Skill  in  the  preparation  of  food 
is  economy  in  its  use,  as  well  as  a 
cardinal  domestic  virtue.  Believing 
this,  we  cheerfully  commend 

iUff„„    nn;fttti«    tt — ™*u» 


Do  you  want  a  good  Family  Newspaper  ? 
Subscribe  for 


to  the  wives    and    daughters  of  our 
country. 

SENDS  I. SOTO 

Mrs.  S.  A.  Elliott,  Oxford,  IT.  C, 

and    receive    this   useful  book,   post- 
paid to  your  address. 


IK 


BEIGHT!    SPARKLING!    HUMOEOUS ! 


JAS.  A.  ROBINSON,  Editor  and  Proprietor.. 
Weekly  (Size  26x40)  $1.50  a  Year. 

Contains  General,  State  and  Local  News, 
also  correct  Produce  and  Tobacco  Market 
Reports.  Full  of  Rood  things  for  all  persons- 
Kills  the  blues  every  time.  Good  advertising 
medium.  Large  circulation.  Established  in 
one  of  the  fastest  growing  towns  of  Western 
Caolina,  and  among  an  enterprising  and  in- 
dustrious people.    Everybody  reads. 

Address,  ' '  LEADER , ' '  WINSTON ,  N .  C. 

FEED.  E.  SCOTT,  Prest. 
ALEZ.  DONNAN,  V.  Prest.         E.  W.  BUTCHEE,  Sec'y. 


Savings  &  tame  Cuff, 

PETERSBURG,   VA. 

Capital,  3209,000.    Assets,  over  5700,000* 

OEO-iilTIZED    I860. 

Duke  &  Stokes, 

DURHAM,  W.  C., 

DEALERS  IN 

LEAF  TOBACGO  &  STRIPS.  . 

BVY  OJSZY  ON  OHDJERS. 

REFER  TO  : 

J.  B.  Pace,  Richmond,  Va. 

Scotten,  Leavitt  &  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich. 

Eugene  Morehead,  Banker,  Durham,  N.  C. 


W.  DUKE. 


A.  H.  STOKES. 


DENNY,  SMITH  &  CO. 

MANUFACTURERS  OF 


Proprietors  of  the 


Monogram  Brand. 

Warranted    as    Good   as  tlve  Best  I 

REIDSYILLE,  N.  O. 


123 
T-    C.   dz    ID.   "3T.   COOPEE, 

PEOPEIETOES    OF 

COOPER'S  WAREHOUSE, 

SEXSERSON.     KT.     O. 


Tie  Largest  &  Best  Arranged  Warehouse  in  Norlb  Carolina  for  Slowing  Fine  Tolacco, 

All  grades  of  Tobacco  sold  for  Full  Market  Value.  Strict  personal  attention  given  to  Weigh- 
ing and  Selling.  Prompt  payments  and  returns  made  after  each  sale,  either  in  Currency  or 
Checks,  as  planters  may  desire.  Ample  Camp  Lots  and  Sheds  for  the  protection  of  Stock.  Our 
demand  for  Fine  Wrappers,  Smokers  and  Fillers  is  large  and  increasing,  at  Full  Prices. 

No.  1  Peruvian  Guano,  Ober's  Tobacco  Compound,  and  Buggies,  Carriages  and  Wagons 
always  on  hand  at  Rock  Bottom  Prices. 

O".  SL  LOCKHART, 

ID  IE  J^.  Ij  IE  IR,    I3ST 

Leaf 

r>un2a:iL3vr,    3xr.    o. 

ORDERS  SOLICITED,  SATISFACTION  GUARANTEED. 
SMOKEKS    -A-    SPECIALTT. 


Refer  by  Permission:— W.  T.  Blackwell  &  Co.,  Durham,  N.  C.  A.  Y.  Stokes  &  Co.,  Rich- 
mond, Va.  Pace,  Bro.  &  Co.,  Lynchburg,  Va.  Spaulding  &  Merrick,  Chicago.  J.  E.  Venable  & 
Son,  Petersburg,  Va. 


Dr.  G.  W.  Blacknall — New  Morehead  City  Hotel. — The  public  will  be  de- 
lighted to  know  that  the  new  Hotel  at  Morehead  City  has  been  leased  by  Dr.  G.  W. 
Blackball,  proprietor  of  the  Yarboro  House,  Raleigh,  N.  C,  for  the  period  of  five 
years.  Dr.  Blacknall  is  widely  known  as  the  best  hotel  man  in  North  Carolina.  No 
man  in  the  hotel  annals  of  the  State  has  ever  been  known  to  handle*,  crowd  with  so 
much  ease  as  he.  By  the  coming  season  there  will  be  good  accommodations  for  five  or 
six  hundred  guests.  This  most  excellent  House  is  fitted  up  with  every  modern  im- 
provement. The  ball-room  will  be  the  largest  and  best  arranged  In  the  United  States. 
Every  room  will  be  supplied  with  gas  and  water.  This  hotel  is  beautifully  and  con- 
veniently situated  near  the  water  edge,  and  is  one  of  the  most  agreeable  places  for  the 
seaside  visitor  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  We  bespeak  for  the  Doctor  a  most  successful 
season  for  the  coming  summer. — The  Torchlight,  Oxford,  N.  C. 


124 


HORNER  SCHOOL, 


A  Classical,  Mathematical,  Scientific,   and  English  School,  with 
Military  Organization  and  Discipline. 


IP  IR,  I  ItsT  o  1 IP  .A.  Ij  s  : 

JAMES  H.  HORNER,  A.  M.        I        JEROME  C.  HORNER,  A.  M. 

J.  P.  PAISLEY,  A.  B.,  TH.  V.  JASMUND,  Ph.  D., 

Latin,  Greek,  Mathematics,  and  English  Branches.  French,  German,  Geography  and  History. 


No  expense  or  pains  will  be  spared  to  maintain  the  high  reputation  of  the 


and  to  make  it  complete  in  all  the  requirements  of  a  first-rate  preparatory  and  finish- 
ing Academy. 

The  elder  Mr.  Horner  has  had  a  varied  experience  of  thirty  years  in  the  school- 
room; and  his  son,  Mr.  J.  V.  Horner,  after  the  best  preparatory  training  under  his 
father,  was  graduated  with  distinction  at  Davidson  College,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  constantly  engaged  in  teaching. 

None  but  well-qualified  Assistant  Instructors  will  be  employed;  and  none  but 
honorable  and  studious  boys  will  be  retained  in  the  school. 

The  location  is  retired,  but  not  so  remote  from  the  town  as  to  lose  the  healthful 
influence  of  its  refined  society.  Students  live  in  the  family  of  the  Principals;  and 
their  conduct  out  of  school  and  in  school  is  strictly  supervised  and  controlled.  The 
standard  of  scholarship  and  of  gentlemanly  deportment  is  high. 

The  course  of  study  is  complete.  The  Text-Books  are  up  to  the  latest  advance- 
ments in  every  department;  and  the  best  educational  advantages  in  all  the  appoint- 
ments of  the  School  are  provided.  The  session  is  divided  into  two  terms  of  twenty 
weeks  each,  with  only  one  day's  interval. 

The  first  term  of  the  scholastic  year  begins  the  third  Monday  in  August;  the 
second,  the  first  Tuesday  in  January. 

The  charge  for  board  and  tuition  is  $100  lor  each  ses-ion,  or  $200  for  the  whole 
scholastic  year,  payable  at  the  beginning  of  each  term. 

For  further  particulars  apply  to 

JEROME  C.  HORNER, 

Oxford,  N.  0. 

THE    O^IOIfcTI-^IfcT, 

A  Journal  of  Literature  and  Education, 

Published  Monthly,  at  Oxford,  N.  C,  at  One  Dollar  a  Tear,  in  advance. 

Offers  decided  advantages  to  advertisers.  High  average  circulation.  Advertise- 
ments shown  prominently,  are  free  from  errors  and  are  tastefully  displayed.  Its  ad- 
vertising rates  are  not  in  excess  of  its  value  to  an  advertiser.  Advertisements,  in- 
tended for  publication  in  any  issue,  should  be  in  the  office  by  the  20th  of  the  month. 

J.  C.  HORNER,  Oxford,  N.  0. 


125 


THE 


HUNDLEY  TOBACCO  ORDERER. 


This  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  greatest  conveniences  for  the  Tobacco  Farmer 
yet  invented.  By  its  use  the  farmer  is  enabled  to  remove  his  tobacco  immediately 
after  it  is  cured  in  any  kind  of  weather  without  the  least  damage. 

He  can  strip  and  market  his  crop  at  any  time  or  during  any  season ,  and  especially 
is  it  useful  in  cold  rainy  weather,  when  it  is  too  disagreeable  to  work  out  of  doors,  and 
too  cold  for  tobacco  to  soften. 

Every  man  that  has  handled  leaf  tobacco  knows  the  many  advantages  derived 
from  a  method  by  which  it  can  be  softened,  at  any  time,  without  damage,  and  only 
needs  to  be  assured  that  the 

HUNDLEY  TOBACCO  ORDERER 

will  do  this,  and  he  will  at  once  appreciate  its  value. 

With  our  Improved  Orderer  we  have  never  failed  to  give  satisfaction,  and  can 
produce  more  than  one  hundred  testimonials,  but  for  want  of  space  confine  ourselves 
to  a  few  from  the  leading  farmers  in  different  localities. 


Letterfrom  F.  J.  Tilley,  of  Knap  of  Reeds,  N.  0.,  to  W.  A.  Davis,  Editor  of  the  Oxford 

"  Torch-Light  ": 

******  a8  gne  yellow  tobacco  is  so  much  more  profitable  than  any 
other  kind,  it  is  not  only  best  to  know  how  to  cure  it  bright,  but  also  how  to  retain 
the  fancy  color.  Every  person  at  all  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  fine  yellow  to- 
bacco knows  that  it  is  liable  and  apt  to  change  if  allowed  to  soften  too  much  or  too 
quickly ;  therefore,  it  is  important  not  to  allow  it  to  undergo  any  change  that  will  cause 
it  to  lose  its  fancy  color.  Having  some  experience  with  fine  tobacco  myself,  I  went  to 
see  what  effect  the  Orderer  had  upon  tobacco,  and  whether  or  not  it  would  change  the 
color.  We  put  some  very  fine  into  the  barn,  which  was  entirely  dry.  I  examined  it 
well,  and  when  it  was  thoroughly  softened,  I  found  that  the  color  was  not  changed  in 
the  least.  I  continued  to  experiment  until  I  was  perfectly  convinced  that  it  wouTd  not 
at  all  change  the  most  fancy  color.  It  required  about  thirty-five  minutes  to  soften  the 
leaf,  but  would  take  some  time  longer  to  soften  the  large  stems  sufficiently  to  strip.  I 
am  perfectly  satisfied  that  the  Orderer  will  not  change  the  color  any  more  than  a  natu- 
ral season.  It  is  arranged  to  distribute  the  steam  uniformly  over  the  barn,  and  can  be 
easily  turned  on  or  off.  Tobacco  can  be  softened  or  ordered  by  it  quickly  or  slowly,  as 
may  suit  best. 

Knap  of  Reeds,  July  17th,  1880.  F.  J.  TILLY. 


Winstead,  Person  County,  N.  0. 
Dear  Sir:  June  10th,  1880. 

Herewith  find  orders  for  five  of  your  Tobacco  Orderers.  *  *  The  tobacco  you 
ordered  when  here  I  sent  to  Danville  a  few  days  after  you  left.  TJie  warehousemen 
prwwunced  the  order  good.  From  what  I  have  seen  of  the  Orderer  I  am  more  than  satis- 
fied that  it  is  an  indispensable  adjunct  to  every  tobacco  farm,  and  that  in  the  course  of 
a  few  years  every  man  that  raises  fine  tobacco  will  have  one.  I  am  now  satisfied,  from 
my  experience,  that  it  will  not  change  the  color  or  in  any  other  way  damage  fine 
tobacco.    Wishing  you  much  success,  I  remain 

Yours  truly,  A.  J.  HESTER. 


126 

Winstead,  Person  County,  N.  G. 
J.  C.  Hundley,  Esq.,  Oxford,  N.  0.  October  18th,  1880. 

Dear  Sir : — Your  Improved  Tobacco  Orderers  have  given  general  satisfaction  so 
far.  Many  farmers  signify  their  intention  of  purchasing  at  an  early  date.  *  *  They 
all  work  charmingly.    *    *    Make  two  more  for  me.    Very  truly, 

A.  J.  HESTER. 


Ridgeway,  Warren  Co  ,  K  C,  Sept.  9, 1880. 
Mr.  J.  C.  Hundley. 

Dear  Sir : — I  received  the  Orderer  you  sent.    It  worked  very  well.     I  have  sold  it 
and  wish  you  to  send  me  another.    I  would  like  to  take  the  agency  for  this  county. 

Very  respectfully,  T.  B.  WATSON. 


Cedar  Grove,  Orange  Co.,  N.  O,  Sept.  15th,  1880. 
Mr.  J.  C.  Hundley, 

Dear  Sir: — I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  receiving  so  many  orders  for  your 
Orderer,  feeling  certain  that  it  is  just  what  every  tobacco  farmer  needs.  I  am  using  mine 
and  it  works  well.  Respectfully  yours,  W.  H.  ANDERSON. 

Oxford,  N.  O,  July  8th,  1880. 
Mr.  J.  C.  Hundley. 

Dear  Sir: — I  have  been  using  the  Steam  Orderer  I  bought  of  you,  and  am  well 
pleased  with  it.  I  think  I  can  recommend  it  to  do  what  you  claim  for  it.  It  will  order 
tobacco  in  a  very  little  time  and  uniformly  through  the  house. 

Very  respectfully,  FIELDING  KNOTT. 


Oxford,  N.  O,  Nov.  23d,  1880. 
I  have  thoroughly  examined  the  Hundley  Tobacco  Orderer  and  know  it  to  be  a 
complete  success.    No  tobacco  farmer  can  afford  to  be  without  one.    He  can  often  save 
the  cost  of  one  in  a  single  load  of  tobacco  by  being  able  to  handle  it  at  any  time. 

H.  G.  COOPER,  Proprietor  of  Cooper's  Warehouse. 


OUR  RIGHTS  are  protected  by  Letters  Patent,  number  224,290,  bearing  date 
February  10th,  1880,  and  covering  the  process  of  ordering  Leaf  Tobacco  by  passing 
the  steam  from  a  suitable  boiler  through  a  pipe  perforated  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
main  portion  of  the  steam  issues  in  a  direction  away  from  the  overhanging  tobacco. 

Any  infringements  on  our  rights  will  be  speedily  and  vigorously  prosecuted. 

Good  responsible  Agents  wanted  in  every  tobacco  section  in  the  United  States. 

We  will  sell  State,  County,  Township  or  Farm  Rights. 
For  terms  and  other  information  address, 

"The  Hundley  Tobacco  OrAerer  Company," 

OXFORD,  GRANVILLE  CO.,  N.  0. 


a 


DURHAM   RECORDER," 


OLDEST   PAPER  IN  NORTH   CAROLINA! 

Published  at  Tobacco  Headquarters  by 

J.  D.  CAMERON,     -       -       -     Editor  $  Propriet  r. 
PRICE,  $1.50  PER   YEAR. 


127 


TOBACCO  SEED  GIVEN  AWAY! 


TO  EVERY  NEW  SUBSCRIBER  TO 

THE  TORCH  LIGHT, 

O  IK:  IF1  O  jES  ID,    3ST.     O- 

We  will  present  a  package  of  Major  Ragland's 
Tobacco  Seed,  of  either  of  the  popular  varieties  : 

YELLOW  QR0H0K0,  YELLOW  PRYOR, 

BIG  0R0K0K0,  GOLD  LEAF, 

SWEET  0R0N0K0,  WHITE  BURLEY. 

The  Torch  Light  is  Published  every  Tuesday  Morn- 
ing, at  Oxford,  N.  C,  by  W.  A.  Davis,  at  the  price  of 


Oxford  is  in  the  Centre  of  the  finest  tobacco  region  in 
the  world. 

A  large  Weekly  Family,  News  and  Literary  Paper. 
The  best  advertising  medium  in  North  Carolina. 

Address  w.  A.  DAVIS,  Editor  and  Prop., 


Ca][question]CforXbusinessImen] 

'Will  not  the  "  Safety  Fund  "  plan  of  the  HARTFORD  LIFE  AND  AN- 
NUITY INS.  CO.  revolutionize  the  whole  Life  business? 
It  contains  all  that  is  valuable  both  in  Mutual  and 
Co-operation  Insurance. 

RATES:  $8.00  for  $1000,  $20  for  $5000,  PAID  BUT  0HCE. 

ASSETS  OVER  $1,000,000,  IN  U.  S.  BONDS. 

Active  Agents  wanted  in  North  Carolina.    Address,  for  Circulars  and 
Liberal  Agent's  Contracts, 

L.  S.  READ,  Agt.  Southern  Department, 

38    Fostoffioe    Avonue,  TFt  /\  TiTIMOrtEI. 


128 


ESTABLISHED    1869, 


PIE33  3VT  OKTT 

Guano  and  Manufacturing  Co/ 


GUANO  - 

V       FOR     « 


STANDARD 


CD  55. 

fK  CD 

2-  o 

P  <? 


CD 

E3 


For  the  profitable  growing  of  Fine  Yellow  Tobacco,  satis- 
fying all  the  wants  of  the  crop  in  its  successive  stages 
of  growth  and  maturing,  this  preparation  has  no 
superior,  as  is  clearly  evidenced  by  the  con- 
tinuous  experience   of  many  of  the  best 
planters  in  the  Fine  Tobacco  region  of 
North   Carolina   and   Virginia.    To 
those  who  have  used  it  no  recom- 
mendation is  needed,  and  of 
others  we  ask  only  a  trial. 

Office,  38  South  Charles  Street, 

BALTIMORE,  MD. 


FOR  SALE  BY  OUR  AGENTS  AT  ALL  MARKETS  II  I.  C.  ft  VA. 


129 

Excelsior  Stencil  Works, 

COR.    C3T-A.TT    cfe    LOMBARD    SI'S., 


'tlllj 


BALTIMORE,     ^EID. 

MANUFACTURER  OF 


Steel  Stamps,  Seal  Presses,  Burning  Brands,  Stencil  Inks,  Brushes,  &c. 

tobacco,  pijOttr.  -A_:ixn>  x^tzehssxsiiei  y 

Stencils,  in  new  and  original  styles,  a  specialty. 
I^"We  guarantee  first-class  work,  and  at  the  VERY  LOWEST  PRICES. 

KTTSSEI-iXj     <2z    &IBSB, 

COMMISSION 

Grain  Merchants  &  Seed  Dealers 

18, 19,  20  and  21  SPEAR'S  WHARF, 

BALTIMORE,   MD. 


CLOVER,    TIMOTHY,    ORCHARD,    MILLET,     HUNGA- 
RIAN, BLUE  GRASS,  SEED  WHEAT, 
RYE,  OATS,  &c. 


IMPORTBRS    OF 

PORTLAND  CEMENT,  ROSENDALE  CEMENT,  LUMP 
PLASTER,  GROUND  PLASTER,  CAL- 
CINED PLASTER. 

WE  DESIRE  TO  CALL  THE  ATTENTION  OF  TOBACCO  GROWERS  TO 

BAUCH'S  CELEBRATED 

Bcoan-omo-icsil     fertilizer, 

MA.DE  prom  slaughter  house  bones. 

WE  GUARANTEE  THE  FOLLOWING  ANALYSIS: 

Ammonia,       .       .       .       .    2  to  2>£  per  cent.  |  Bone  Phosphate,        .        .        17  to  20  per  cent. 
Sulphate  of  Potash,       .       .       .       i  to  5  per  cent. 

PRICE  $30.00  PER  SINGLE  TON,  IN  NEW  BAGS. 

Special  prices  for  larger  quantities  given  on  application. 

BA.I7GH:     Sz    S03STS, 
No.  103  SOUTH  STREET,  BALTIMORE,  MD. 


130 


III 


IS  ill,':!!.*:!  1 1 if 


:__v  T-^   ^%LJ& 


MANUFACTURER    OF 


SMOKING  T08A 


11 


Manufacturer    of    the    World-Renowned 


A  Standard  Brand  of  Granulated,   made  from  the  best  and  most  highly 
v  flavored  North  Carolina  Leaf.    Also  of  the 

Original  and  Genuine  Durham  Long  Cut, 

Made  from  the  best  bright  North  Carolina  leaf,  unsurpassed  the  world  over  in   fragrance  and 
flavor  ;  of  which  there  are  two  Grades,  jtfo.  1  and  Ro.  2. 


The  favor  with  whicli  this  tobacco  has  been  received  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the 
salek,  following  its  introduction,  have  been  larger  and  more  steadily  maintained  than  has 
ever  been  the  fortune  of  any  new  article  of  the  kind  put  on  the  market. 

The  above  can  be  bought,  at  factory  prices,  from  the  manufacturer  at  Durham,  N.  C, 
and  at  factory  prices  from : 


J.  BLANKENSTEIN,  630  8th  Avenue,  New  York. 
W.  M.  HOYT  &  CO.,  Chicago,  111. 
E.  V.  -BEEEIEN,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
KETLflR  &  OSMOND,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
C.  E.  KEYWOETH,  Baltimore,  Mi 
W00LWINE  Ss  SCUDDEE,  Nashville,  Tenn. 
BENJAMIN  BEOS.  &  CO.,  Atlanta,  Ga. 

And  by  the  wholesale  grocery  trade  generally  throughout  the  United  States. 


F.  W.  WAGGENEE  &  CO.,  Charleston,  S.  C. 
GAEEETT  &  EEDJJ,  Columbus,  Ga. 
H.  M7EES  &  BEO.,  Savannah,  Ga. 
JOSEPH  JONAS,  Montgomery,  Ala. 
SMITH,  HACK  &  CO.,  Augusta,  Ga. 
EEAVES,  NICHOLSON  &  CO.,  Athens,  Ga. 


CHAS.  D.  HILL. 


CHAS.  K.  SKINKER. 


CIIAS.  WATKINS. 


HILL,  SKINKER  &  WATKINS, 

Proprietors  of  Centre  Warehouse, 


LEAF  TOBACCO 


AND 


1412, 1414, 1416  Cary  St. 


1 
RICHMOND,  VA. 


Old 


FOR   TOBACCO   CROP    USE 

G.0BER&  SONS'     . 

iabie  Standarc 


izers 


HILL,  SKINKER  &  WATKINS, 


k 


General  Agents  for  the  States  of  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina. 


DURHAM,  NORTH  CAROLINA, 

MANUFACTURERS  OF  THE  ONLY 

Genuine  Durham  Smokin?  Tobacco 


!MiIWill?:i 


OF  Ml 


Is  the  FINEST,  PUREST,  BEST,  and  most  uniform 
Brand  of  Smoking  Tobacco  ever  put  upon  the  Market. 


MANUFACTURED  ONLY  BY 

W.T.BLaciotaiL,  &  Co. 


ALSO    MANUFACTURERS   OF 


Dili  Lone  Cut  ad  Mam  Cigarettes. 

THESE  GOODS  WE  OFFEE  UNDEE  AN  ABSOLUTE  GUAEANTEE 

f  They  fire  the  Finest  and  Purest  Gooas  upon  the  Market 
T  W  A  T  '  They  are  free  from  Drugs  or  Chemicals  of  any  kind. 
1  flli  i     They  consist  of  the  Finest  Tobacco,  and  Purest  Rice 

(  Paper  made. 

gEM®  we  f&wm  @m®Mm&. 

SATISFACTION  GUARANTEED. 


